John Zapolya
| John I | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| King of Hungary | |
| Reign | 1526–1540 |
| Coronation | 11 November 1526 |
| Predecessor | Louis II |
| Successor |
Ferdinand I John II Sigismund Zápolya |
| Born | 1490 or 1491 Szepesváralja, Kingdom of Hungary (present-day Spišské Podhradie, Slovakia) |
| Died | 22 July 1540 (aged 49–50) Szászsebes, Transylvania (today Sebeş, Romania) |
| Burial | Székesfehérvár Basilica |
| Spouse | Isabella Jagiellon |
| Issue | John II Sigismund Zápolya |
| House | House of Zápolya |
| Father | Stephen Zápolya |
| Mother | Hedwig of Cieszyn |
| Signature |  |
John Zápolya, or John Szapolyai (Croatian: Ivan Zapolja, Hungarian: Szapolyai János or Zápolya János, Romanian: Ioan Zápolya, Slovak: Ján Zápoľský, Serbian: Jovan Zapolja/Јован Запоља; 1490 or 1491 – 22 July 1540), was King of Hungary (as John I) from 1526 to 1540. His rule was disputed by Archduke Ferdinand I, who also claimed the title King of Hungary. He was Voivode of Transylvania before his coronation.
John was the oldest son of Count Stephen Zápolya and his second wife, Hedwig of Cieszyn. Stephen Zápolya was descended from a Slavonian noble family. He became one of the wealthiest lords in the Kingdom of Hungary after inheriting the large domains of his brother, Emeric Zápolya, in 1487. His marriage with the Silesian duchess, Hedwig, who was related to Emperor Maximilian I, increased the prestige of the Zápolya family.
Stephen Zápolya had no sons when Matthias Corvinus, King of Hungary, died on 6 April 1490, according to a contemporaneous report, but a charter issued in September 1491 already mentioned John, showing that John was born between the two dates. He was born in Szepes Castle (now Spiš Castle in Slovakia), which was an important center of the Zápolyas' domains. At the Diet of Hungary in 1497, Stephen Zápolya's opponents circulated rumours about his intention to have his son crowned king. John and his younger brother, George, inherited their father's vast domains in 1499. Their domains were primarily located in Upper Hungary (now Slovakia), where they held most landed estates in five counties. John could write letters in Latin, showing that his mother provided excellent education to him.
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