Nikola Kont Orahovički (Iločki)

Nicholas Kont
Lord of Orahovica
Nicholas Kont among the court dignitaries with Louis I (Chronicon Pictum)
Palatine of Hungary
Reign	March 1356 – April 1367
Predecessor	Nicholas Zsámboki
Successor	Ladislaus Oppelni
Full name Nicholas Kont de Orahovica
Born	?
Died	before 16 April 1367 Orahovica, Kingdom of Croatia (within the Kingdom of Hungary)
Spouse(s)	Klara Zsámboki
Issue Bartholomew II Nicholas II Catherine
Father	Lawrence the Tót

Nicholas Kont of Orahovica (Croatian: Nikola Kont Orahovički, Hungarian: raholcai Kont Miklós; *? - † before April 16, 1367) was a Croato-Hungarian nobleman, very powerful and influential in the royal court of king Louis the Angevin, serving as Count palatine. He was the forefather and founder of the Iločki noble family (Hungarian: Újlaki család).

Nicholas was a descendant of a noble family originating from the area of Dubica district in medieval Lower Slavonia. His father was Lawrence (Lőrinc) the Tót, who served as Master of the Treasury and Ban of Slavonia. He had two brothers, Bartholomew (Bertalan) and Leukus (Lökös), both of them functioned as Master of Cup-bearers.

Having served in the king Louis' army during military campaigns on the present-day Italian soil, he got the nickname Kont (from Italian: conte = count). The adjective Orahovički was attributed to his name since his father Lovro /Lawrence/ gained the Orahovica estate, including large Ružica Castle. He was born at the beginning of the 14th century and had two brothers, Bartol /Bartholomew/ and Leukus, who performed important functions at the royal court as well (cup-bearer, chief retainer), but did not managed to achieve his glory.

In the middle of the 14th century Nicholas became one of the leading magnates of the king and was given the new titles and properties. In the period between 1343 and 1367 he was the knight of Udvar, royal cup-bearer (1345–1351), Voivode of Transylvania (1351-1356) and finally Count Palatine (1356–1367). In the meantime he served as Ispán of several counties in Croatia and Hungary (Sopron, Varaždin, Vas, Szolnok, Sáros etc.).