MARTINUZZI, GEORGE [GyoRcy UnEgENoviC] ( ,14-2— i551), Hungarian statesman, known in Hungarian history as FRATER GYoRGY or simply THE FRATER, was born at KamiEic, Croatia, the son of Gregory Utiegenovie, a Croatian gentleman. His mother was a Martinuzzi, a Venetian patrician family. From his eighth to his twentieth year he was attached to the court of John Corvinus; subsequently he saw something of warfare under John Zapolya but, tiring of a military life, he entered the Pauli cian Order in his twenty-eighth year. His historical career began when his old patron Zapolya, now king of Hungary, forced to fly before his successful rival Ferdinand, afterwards the emperor Ferdinand I., sent him on a diplomatic mission to Hungary. It was due to his tact and ability that John recovered Buda (1529), and henceforth Frater GyOrgy became his treasurer and chief counsellor.
In 1534 Martinuzzi became bishop of Nagyvarad (Gross wardein) ; in 1538 he concluded with Austria the peace of Gross wardein, which left Zapolya with the royal title and most of Hungary. On Zapolya's death (154o) Martinuzzi acted as guard ian and regent for his infant son John Sigismund, for whom on Dec. 29, 1541 he concluded the Treaty of Gyula with the Sultan, which left an enlarged Transylvania as an independent principality under Turkish suzerainty. For a time Martinuzzi kept Tran sylvania neutral and on friendly terms with both Austria and the Porte. In 155o, however, the Queen-Mother Isabella, who hated
him, contrived against him with the hospodars of Moldavia and Wallachia and the Turks. Martinuzzi defeated all his enemies and concluded a composition confirmed by the diet of Kalozsvar (1551) whereby Isabella renounced her rights over Transyl vania, in her son's name, to Ferdinand of Austria.
The Frater retained the governorship of Transylvania, and was subsequently consecrated Cardinal and archbishop of Eszter gom. Thus Hungary was once more reunited, but the inability of Ferdinand to defend it against the Turks, as promised, forced the Frater to resume payment of tribute to the Porte in December 1551. Ferdinand, however, suspecting the cardinal's loyalty, had him assassinated at Alvinczy (Dec. 17, 1551). Ferdinand took the responsibility of the murder on himself. He sent to Julius III. an accusation of treason against the Frater in eighty-seven articles, and after long hesitation, and hearing one hundred and sixteen witnesses, the pope exonerated Ferdinand of blame.