Charles I of Hungary in Timisoara, Romania

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Charles I was born in 1288 in Naples, Kingdom of Naples. He died on July 16, 1342, in Visegrád, Hungary. Charles I was the King of Hungary who restored his kingdom to greatness and enriched it with culture. Charles I was the son of Charles Martel of Anjou-Naples and Clemencia of Habsburg, daughter of Holy Roman Emperor Rudolf I. As a great-grandson of Stephen V and with papal approval, Charles I claimed the Hungarian throne after Andrew III's death, the last of the Árpád line, in 1301. When his claim was disputed, however, he had to surrender the crown to Wenceslas of Bohemia, who transferred his right to Otto, duke of Lower Bavaria in 1305. After Otto was taken prisoner by Hungarians, Charles I was recognized as king in 1308 and received the Crown of St. Stephen at Székesfehérvár on August 27, 1310. Charles I's foreign policy aimed at family expansion but also greatly benefited Hungary. In 1335, his alliance with Poland for mutual defense against Bohemians and Habsburgs resulted in a victory over Holy Roman Emperor Louis IV, the Bavarian, and Albert of Austria. Fearing that Hungary might gain dominance in the Adriatic, Venice and the pope frustrated Charles I's plans to unite the kingdoms of Hungary and Naples under his eldest son, Louis (the future Louis I the Great). Charles then turned to a pact with his brother-in-law and ally, Casimir III the Great of Poland, whereby they agreed that Louis of Hungary should succeed childless Casimir. (Credit: Britannica)