The House of Talovac (; ) was a Croatian

noble family Nobility is a social class found in many societies that have an aristocracy (class), aristocracy. It is normally appointed by and ranked immediately below Royal family, royalty. Nobility has often been an Estates of the realm, estate of the rea ...

, descending from the island of

Korčula Korčula () is a Croatian island in the Adriatic Sea. It has an area of , is long and on average wide, and lies just off the Dalmatian coast. Its 15,522 inhabitants (2011) make it the second most populous Adriatic island after Krk. The populat ...

and reaching its peak in the 15th century in the Kingdom of Croatia, at that time in personal union with

Hungary Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning much of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia and ...

. The members of the family rose to high state, church or military offices, such as Ban (Viceroy) of Croatia and Dalmatia as well as Ban of Whole Slavonia, royal court chamberlain,

bishop A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of Episcopal polity, authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance and administration of di ...

župan Župan is a noble and administrative title used in several states in Central Europe, Central and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe between the 7th century and the 21st century. It was (and in Croatia still is) the leader of the administrat ...

and others.

Family history

The oldest known ancestor of the family was Luka (‘’Lucha’’), a patrician from Korčula, mentioned at the end of the 14th century. He moved with his four sons ( Matko,

Franko Franko may refer to: * Franko (name), a given name and surname * Franko (bishop of Poznań) Franko was an 11th-century Polish Bishop of Poznań. He was the first bishop of Poznan after the renewal of the diocese by Bolesław the bold in 1075 ...

Petar Petar (, sr-Cyrl, Петар) is a South Slavic masculine given name, their variant of the Biblical name Petros cognate to Peter. Derivative forms include Pero, Pejo, Pera, Perica, Petrica, Periša. Feminine equivalent is Petra. People ...

and

Ivan Ivan () is a Slavic male given name, connected with the variant of the Greek name (English: John) from Hebrew meaning 'God is gracious'. It is associated worldwide with Slavic countries. The earliest person known to bear the name was the B ...

) to

Dubrovnik Dubrovnik, historically known as Ragusa, is a city in southern Dalmatia, Croatia, by the Adriatic Sea. It is one of the most prominent tourist destinations in the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean, a Port, seaport and the centre of the Dubrovni ...

, where his family was engaged in

trade Trade involves the transfer of goods and services from one person or entity to another, often in exchange for money. Economists refer to a system or network that allows trade as a market. Traders generally negotiate through a medium of cr ...

and acquired citizenship of the

Republic of Dubrovnik The Republic of Ragusa, or the Republic of Dubrovnik, was an aristocratic maritime republic centered on the city of Dubrovnik (''Ragusa'' in Italian and Latin; ''Raguxa'' in Venetian) in South Dalmatia (today in southernmost Croatia) that carr ...

. Their ships sailed to

Constantinople Constantinople (#Names of Constantinople, see other names) was a historical city located on the Bosporus that served as the capital of the Roman Empire, Roman, Byzantine Empire, Byzantine, Latin Empire, Latin, and Ottoman Empire, Ottoman empire ...

and even farther, to the

Black Sea The Black Sea is a marginal sea, marginal Mediterranean sea (oceanography), mediterranean sea lying between Europe and Asia, east of the Balkans, south of the East European Plain, west of the Caucasus, and north of Anatolia. It is bound ...

. Some historians believe that members of the family met

Sigismund of Luxemburg Sigismund of Luxembourg (15 February 1368 – 9 December 1437) was Holy Roman Emperor from 1433 until his death in 1437. He was elected King of Germany (King of the Romans) in 1410, and was also King of Bohemia from 1419, as well as prince-elect ...

, King of Hungary and Croatia (who was in Dubrovnik after the

Battle of Nicopolis The Battle of Nicopolis took place on 25 September 1396 and resulted in the rout of an allied Crusader army (assisted by the Venetian navy) at the hands of an Ottoman force, raising the siege of the Danubian fortress of Nicopolis and le ...

) as early as 1396, while others believe it happened later, around 1427. In one way or another, they entered the service of the king and gradually received new

titles A title is one or more words used before or after a person's name, in certain contexts. It may signify their generation, official position, military rank, professional or academic qualification, or nobility. In some languages, titles may be ins ...

properties Property is the ownership of land, resources, improvements or other tangible objects, or intellectual property. Property may also refer to: Philosophy and science * Property (philosophy), in philosophy and logic, an abstraction characterizing an ...

and

castle A castle is a type of fortification, fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by Military order (monastic society), military orders. Scholars usually consider a ''castle'' to be the private ...

s from Sigismund for their loyalty.

Rise of the family

One of the properties that the family members received from the king in 1434 was Talovac (then spelled Thallowc, Tallowcz, Tallocz, Tallovec, Tallovez or Talloucz), which was located southwest of the town of

Virovitica Virovitica () is a Croatian city near the Hungary, Hungarian border. It is situated near the Drava river and belongs to the historic region of Slavonia. Virovitica has a population of 14,688, with 21,291 people in the municipality (census 2011). I ...

and after which the surname Talovac was formed. The property, including a large castle, was situated in the former

Bjelovar-Križevci County The Bjelovar-Križevci County (; ) was a historic administrative subdivision of the Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia. Croatia-Slavonia was an autonomous kingdom within the Lands of the Crown of Saint Stephen (Transleithania), the Hungarian part of th ...

. From the old castle, about 100×80 meters in size, there are only few remains in a forest today, several kilometers southeast of the similar-named present-day village of Topolovica (in the municipality of

Veliki Grđevac Veliki Grđevac (, ) is a settlement and a municipality in Bjelovar-Bilogora County, Croatia. Geography The present municipality Veliki Grđevac arose during the Croatian War of Independence, separated from the former municipality Grubišno P ...

). In addition to the Talovac estate, the family also owned

Đurđevac Đurđevac is a town in the Koprivnica-Križevci County in Croatia. History Until 1918, Đurđevac (named ''Militär Sanct Georgen'' before 1850) was part of the Austrian monarchy (Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia after the compromise of 1867), in ...

in Podravina, Orljavac at Brestovac,

Čazma Čazma is a town in Bjelovar-Bilogora County, Croatia. It is part of Moslavina. Geography Čazma is situated 60 kilometers east of Zagreb and only 30 kilometres from the center of the region - Bjelovar. Čazma is situated on the slopes of ...

and

Voćin Voćin is a village and municipality in western Slavonia, Croatia, located southwest of Slatina and east of Daruvar. The population of the municipality is 1,911, with 956 people living in Voćin itself (census 2021). Geography Voćin, a pilgrima ...

Slavonia Slavonia (; ) is, with Dalmatia, Croatia proper, and Istria County, Istria, one of the four Regions of Croatia, historical regions of Croatia. Located in the Pannonian Plain and taking up the east of the country, it roughly corresponds with f ...

Brčko Brčko ) is a city and the administrative seat of Brčko District, in northern Bosnia and Herzegovina. It lies on the banks of Sava river across from Croatia. As of 2013, it has a population of 39,893 inhabitants. De jure, the Brčko District b ...

Srebrenik Srebrenik ( sr-cyrl, Сребреник) is a city located in Tuzla Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is located in northeastern Bosnia and Herzegovina, near Tuzla. As of 2013, the city had a population of 39,678 inhabitants, ...

and Grabovac at

Čelinac Čelinac ( sr-Cyrl, Челинац) is a town and municipality in Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina. As of 2013, the municipality has a population of 15,548 inhabitants, while the town of Čelinac has a population of 5,097 inhabitants. Ge ...

in Usora- Soli County (in modern-day

Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina, sometimes known as Bosnia-Herzegovina and informally as Bosnia, is a country in Southeast Europe. Situated on the Balkans, Balkan Peninsula, it borders Serbia to the east, Montenegro to the southeast, and Croatia to th ...

), Kamičak,

Knin Knin () is a city in the Šibenik-Knin County of Croatia, located in the Dalmatian hinterland near the source of the river Krka (Croatia), Krka, an important traffic junction on the rail and road routes between Zagreb and Split, Croatia, Split. ...

Klis Klis is a Croatian village and a municipality located around a mountain fortress bearing the same name. Population In the 2011 census, the municipality of Klis had a total population of 4,801, consisting of the following settlements: * Bršta ...

Sinj Sinj () is a List of cities and towns in Croatia, town in the continental part of Split-Dalmatia County, Croatia. As of the 2021 Croatian census, 2021 census, the population was 23,500 people, of which 10,800 inhabited its urban core. Sinj is k ...

Omiš Omiš () is a town and port in the Dalmatia region of Croatia, and a municipality in the Split-Dalmatia County. The town is approximately south-east of Croatia's second largest city, Split (city), Split, where the Cetina River meets the Adriatic ...

, Poljica and Čačvina in southern Croatia, as well as others. The Talovac brothers distinguished themselves in the military intervention in 1436 ordered by Sigismund, in which they captured the castles, fortresses and properties, previously belonging to the Nelipčić family, that had been taken over by the Croatian Ban (Viceroy)

Ivan VI Frankopan Giovanni Frangipani or in croatian language Ivan VI Frankapan or Ivan Anž Frankapan (also known as Ivaniš; died 20 November 1436) was a Croatian nobleman who ruled as Ban of Croatia from 1432 to 1436. He was one of the nine sons of the Croatian ...

against the will of the king. Earlier, prince Ivaniš Nelipić († 1434) had given his property to Ivan VI Frankopan as a

dowry A dowry is a payment such as land, property, money, livestock, or a commercial asset that is paid by the bride's (woman's) family to the groom (man) or his family at the time of marriage. Dowry contrasts with the related concepts of bride price ...

for his daughter Katarina, but Sigismund did not recognize it. The king gave the property to the Talovac family for their merits and awarded them the title "Princes of

Cetina The Cetina () is a river in southern Croatia. It has a length of and its basin covers an area of . From its source, Cetina descends from an elevation of above sea level to the Adriatic Sea. It is the most water-rich river in Dalmatia.Naklada Nap ...

and Klis" (Croatian: Knezovi cetinski i kliški). As the Talovac brothers lived in turbulent times of continual Turkish threat and expansion, they took part in numerous battles. Not only did they defend their possessions and other parts of the kingdom, but also fought in

Kingdom of Bosnia The Kingdom of Bosnia ( / Краљевина Босна), or Bosnian Kingdom (''Bosansko kraljevstvo'' / Босанско краљевство), was a medieval kingdom that lasted for nearly a century, from 1377 to 1463, and evolved out of the ...

and

Despotate of Serbia The Serbian Despotate () was a medieval Serbian state in the first half of the 15th century. Although the Battle of Kosovo in 1389 is mistakenly considered the end of medieval Serbia, the Despotate, a successor of the Serbian Empire and Moravian ...

. In Serbia they cooperated with despots

Stefan Lazarević Stefan Lazarević ( sr-Cyrl, Стефан Лазаревић, 1377 – 19 July 1427), also known as Stefan the Tall (), was a Serbian ruler as prince (1389–1402) and Despot (court title), despot (1402–1427). He was also a diplomat, legislat ...

and

Đurađ Branković Đurađ Vuković Branković ( sr-Cyrl, Ђурађ Вуковић Бранковић, ; 1377 – 24 December 1456) served as the Serbian Despot from 1427 to 1456, making him one of the final rulers of medieval Serbia. In 1429, Branković was form ...

Decline of the family

In conflicts against the

Ottomans Ottoman may refer to: * Osman I, historically known in English as "Ottoman I", founder of the Ottoman Empire * Osman II, historically known in English as "Ottoman II" * Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empir ...

, Franko, one of the brothers, was killed as a partner of the Hungarian commander

John Hunyadi John Hunyadi (; ; ; ; ; – 11 August 1456) was a leading Kingdom of Hungary, Hungarian military and political figure during the 15th century, who served as Regent of Hungary, regent of the Kingdom of Hungary (1301–1526), Kingdom of Hungary ...

in 1448 in the

second battle of Kosovo The Second Battle of Kosovo ( Hungarian: ''második rigómezei csata'', Turkish: ''İkinci Kosova Muharebesi'') was a land battle between a Hungarian-led Crusader army and the Ottoman Empire at Kosovo field that took place from 17–20 O ...

. In 1453, after the death of Petar, who had been Ban of Croatia and Dalmatia, declined gradually the power, wealth and influence of the family. Many fought for its possessions:

Stjepan Vukčić Kosača Stjepan Vukčić Kosača (1404–1466) was a powerful Bosnian Nobility, nobleman who was politically active from 1435 to 1466; the last three decades of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Middle Ages, Bosnian medieval history. During this period, ...

, Duke of Herzegovina,

Stjepan Tomaš Stephen Thomas ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=/, Stefan Tomaš, Стефан Томаш, sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=/, label=none, Stjepan Tomaš, Стјепан Томаш; 1411 – 10 July 1461), a member of the House of Kotromanić, reigned from ...

, King of Bosnia,

Radivoj Ostojić Radivoj of Bosnia ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=/, Radivoj Ostojić, Радивој Остојић; died in late May or early June 1463) was anti-king of Bosnia from 1432 until 1435, when he lost all control over the kingdom but did not relinquish the ...

, counter-king of Bosnia, Ulrich, powerful Count of Celje, John Hunyadi, Hungarian regent,

Republic of Venice The Republic of Venice, officially the Most Serene Republic of Venice and traditionally known as La Serenissima, was a sovereign state and Maritime republics, maritime republic with its capital in Venice. Founded, according to tradition, in 697 ...

and others. However, the children of Matko (Pavao and Benedikt), Franko (Nikola, Ladislav, Matko II., Franjo and Anka) and Petar (Ivaniš and Stjepan) managed to preserve a certain part of the former family fortune. Talovac

Ivaniš and Stjepan, Petar's sons, who were minors at the time of their father's death, could not keep their lands in southern Croatia and moved to Slavonia around 1460. The members of the family who lived in Slavonia began to call themselves Banić (Hungarian Bánffy) in the second half of the 15th century, as they were sons of Ban. At the beginning of the 16th century, the descendants of Franko and Petar lived in Slavonia. Juraj, Franko's grandson, was appointed deputy

Župan Župan is a noble and administrative title used in several states in Central and Southeastern Europe between the 7th century and the 21st century. It was (and in Croatia still is) the leader of the administrative unit župa (or zhupa, župani ...

of the Vuka County in 1527. His son Baltazar became a captain in the service of King Ferdinand I of Habsburg and took part in the siege of

Buda Buda (, ) is the part of Budapest, the capital city of Hungary, that lies on the western bank of the Danube. Historically, “Buda” referred only to the royal walled city on Castle Hill (), which was constructed by Béla IV between 1247 and ...

(1530). He received new possessions in western Hungary. Petar's son Ivaniš and grandson Gabriel were mentioned as owners of Talovac Castle in 1495. This branch of the family died out in the 16th century. In 1526 the members of the Talovac family were raised to the peerage as

baron Baron is a rank of nobility or title of honour, often Hereditary title, hereditary, in various European countries, either current or historical. The female equivalent is baroness. Typically, the title denotes an aristocrat who ranks higher than ...

s. When the Ottomans conquered almost all of Slavonia in the 1530s and 1540s, the members of the lineage moved to western Hungary. Franko's descendants lived there on their estates until the 19th century.

Notable members

The following members of the family were most notable: * Matko,

Ban of Slavonia Ban of Slavonia (; ; ) sometimes also Ban of "Whole Slavonia" (; ; ), was the title of the governor of a territory part of the medieval Kingdom of Hungary and Croatia in union with Hungary, Kingdom of Croatia. From 1102, the title Ban (title), ...

from 1435 and

Ban of Croatia and Dalmatia Ban of Croatia () was the title of local rulers or office holders and after 1102, viceroys of Croatia. From the earliest periods of the Croatian state, some provinces were ruled by Ban (title), bans as a ruler's representative (viceroy) and sup ...

from 1436 until his death in 1444 or 1445, royal Chamberlain (from 1434), Count of Hungarian-held Keve and

Castellan A castellan, or constable, was the governor of a castle in medieval Europe. Its surrounding territory was referred to as the castellany. The word stems from . A castellan was almost always male, but could occasionally be female, as when, in 1 ...

Nándorfehérvár Belgrade is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers and at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin, Pannonian Plain and the Balkan Peninsula. T ...

(modern-day Belgrade),

Diocesan administrator A diocesan administrator (also known as archdiocesan administrator, archiepiscopal administrator and eparchial administrator for the case, respectively, of an archdiocese, archeparchy, and eparchy) is a provisional ordinary of a Catholic partic ...

(Steward) of the Diocese of Zagreb (1433-1438) and the Priory of Vrana (1434-1439) *

, Ban of Severin, Count of Temes (from 1437),

(Steward) of the Diocese of Zagreb (from 1433) *

(1437-1452),

(Steward) of the Diocese of Zagreb (1438-1440) *

prior The term prior may refer to: * Prior (ecclesiastical), the head of a priory (monastery) * Prior convictions, the life history and previous convictions of a suspect or defendant in a criminal case * Prior probability, in Bayesian statistics * Prio ...

of Vrana (1439-1445),

(1440) * Juraj, (grandson of Franko), deputy

of the Vuka County (from 1527)

References

Sources

* * *

External links

Talovci - Croatian noble family

Talovac brothers administered Slavonia and Croatia during the reign of Sigismund of Luxemburg (page 204)

Talovac Kindred - one of the most powerful noble families in Croatian-Hungarian Kingdom
{{Croatian nobility Talovac Talovac Talovac Talovac Talovac Medieval Croatian nobility