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Culture

600 torches for Matthias Corvinus

A couple of thousand people celebrated the 576. birthday of Mátyás (Matthias Corvinus), the great Hungarian King in Kolozsvár/Cluj-Napoca on the weekend. The Kincses Kolozsvár Association, in partnership with the Amaryllis Society organized the Matthias Days for the 27th time, the events most beautiful and important part being the Torchlight Parade.

Matthias Corvinus, also known as the Righteous King, is one of the most iconic and beloved Hungarian King. He was born on 23 February of 1443 in Kolozsvár, and was King of Hungary and Croatia from 1458 to 1490, King of Bohemia from 1469 and Duke of Austria from 1487. The memory of this great king is very important for the Hungarian people living in Transylvania, and of course Kolozsvár. That’s why the Hungarians living in the city of the great king celebrate his “birthday” each year with this big event.

This year the Kings memory was celebrated with a book launch, interactive Hungarian dog breed parade, Baroque and Renaissance dance and music. During the Matthias Days the Korzo Association from Kolozsvár presented their new board game about the great king, called Matthiasy: on the way to the King.

But the celebrations literal and metaphorical highlight was the torchlight parade, couple of thousand people with 600 torches marched from the Reformed Church of Farkas Street to the Matthias Corvinus House, one of Kolozsvár’s oldest buildings, the house where the King was born.

Photos: Facebook/Kincses Kolozsvár Association and Korzo Association.

Author: Orsi Sarány