LUIGI I, the Great, king of HUNGARY. - B. in 1326, d. 10 Sept. 1382. Chivalrous, religious, cultured, a wise statesman. He reigned from 1342 and, from 1370, was also king of Poland. From his father, Carlo I d'Angiò, king of Hungary, he inherited a strong, well-organized, and consolidated kingdom, which he raised to great power. His authority was almost absolute, but never became tyrannical; indeed, he created a just social and political balance.
Over Dalmatia he waged long wars with Venice, but only the peace of Turin (1381) secured him the Adriatic. His attempt to conquer the Kingdom of Naples failed, but he fought victoriously the first battles against Hungary’s new and fateful enemy, the Turk. He was an ardent promoter of religion: he supported Franciscan missions in the Balkans, founded 12 convents in Bosnia for Italian Franciscans, reorganized the bishopric of Milko in Moldavia, and aided the Pope in defending the integrity of the Papal States. s. Caterina da Siena also sought his aid on behalf of Urbano VI. Political, cultural, and economic relations between Italy and Hungary were exceptionally intense: witness also the first Hungarian university, founded by him at Pécs (Cinquechiese).