A History of Central Eastern Europe

Boy, that Norman guy sure gets around!
VILMOS DRUGET – sound familiar? Okay, how about the name DRENGOT? As in the 5 brothers
from Normandy: GILBERT, RAINULF, OSMOND, ASCLETTINO and RAULF of the HOUSE OF
DRENGOT? RAINULF DRENGOT became the 1° Conte di Aversa in 1030. This adventure seeking
family of knights just had to be where the action was and in 1300, it was no longer Naples but
Budapest. When the future KING OF HUNGARY, KAROLY ROBERT D’ANGIO, son of CARLO II
D’ANGIO, KING OF THE TWO SICILIES, set out from Naples in 1300, the knight FÜLÖP DRUGET
went with him. Success eluded KAROLY for 10 years, but it was worth it. Rewarding those
faithful to his cause meant appointing FÜLÖP the ISPÁN OF SZEPES in 1315, a post he held until his
death in 1327. Though the custom was for the ISPÁN to have possession of SPIŠ hrad, there is no
mention of this happening. He did receive PLAVEČ hrad and ĽUBOVŇA hrad in 1323, both in
STARÁ ĽUBOVŇA okres which lies east of STARÁ VES. Shortly before FÜLÖP died he was
appointed NÁDOR (PALATINE), the 2 nd highest dignitary in the kingdom; this post was assumed by
his brother JÁNOS in 1327 which he held until his death in Naples in 1334.
The eldest son of JÁNOS was VILMOS DRUGET
(WILLIAM DRUGETH) who was destined to
become the most powerful member of the
Hungarian branch of the HOUSE OF DRENGOT. In
some records he is referred to as the “ŽUPANOVI
VILIAMOVI DRUGETHOVI” the same as ISPÁN but
in Slovak with a Latin twist. In 1329 VILMOS
took possession of his late father’s strongholds of
PLAVEČ hrad and ĽUBOVŇA hrad (aka DRUGETH
CASTLE, pictured left). VILMOS was ISPÁN OF
SZEPES, 1327 – 1342 (and 7 other Comitates),
PALATINE 1334 – 1342 and COMMANDER OF THE
KING’S ARMY.
VILMOS DRUGET owned SPIŠSKÁ STARÁ VES
until 1337 when it was given to the monastery
located 8 kilometers west at LECHNICA "as
secular alms.” The specifics of this gift are
muddled with some historians claiming that KING
KAROLY made the gift and others stating that it
was ISPÁN VILMOS DRUGET who made the gift. 15
Červený Kláštor was built in 1320 in a remote
area at the confluence of the Lipnik and Dunajec
Rivers. (More on this very important monastery later) This gift was confirmed 22 December
1342 by KING LAJOS after which SPIŠSKÁ STARÁ VES became a permanent part of Červený
Kláštor (for a limited time anyway).
VILMOS and KÁROLY both died in 1342. Soon after the dead KING’S son was crowned LAJOS I,
he nullified VILMOS’ bequests and confiscated all his property. MIKLÓS DRUGET, brother of
VILMOS, felt LAJOS’ sting even more directly – not only was he deprived of his inheritance, he
was also removed from all offices in the kingdom. Eventually he got on the KING’S “good side”
and, with a 3 rd brother, JÁNOS, received a tiny portion of VILMOS’ bequests. (LAJOS’ younger
brother ANDREW married JOANNA I, QUEEN OF NAPLES, and was slain in 1345. LAJOS invaded
Naples, defeated his enemies and held the reins of power there for a number of years.)
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