Peter (II) from the kindred Monoszló (; 1240s – 27 November 1307) was a Hungarian prelate, who served as the Bishop of Transylvania from 1270 until his death. The current St. Michael's Cathedral in Gyulafehérvár (today Alba Iulia, Romania) was built during his term.
Early life Peter was born into the gens Monoszló around 1240 as the son of Gregory II, who functioned as ispán of Krassó County in 1255. His mother was an unidentified noblewoman from the gens Bő, possibly the daughter of Ders. His grandfather was Thomas I, the Ban of Slavonia between 1228 and 1229. Peter had two brothers, Egidius II, who served as Master of the treasury several times, and Gregory III, who was a relative of the royal Árpád dynasty through his marriage. The three brothers supported each other in national politics and gradually distinguished themselves from the other branches of the Monoszló kindred. This intention also appeared in contemporary documents and charters, when their names were referred with the suffixes "de genere Thome bani" ("from Ban Thomas' kindred"), and later "de Filek", when the eldest one, Egidius was granted Fülek Castle (today Fiľakovo, Slovakia) by his lord, Duke Stephen.
As the youngest of three brothers, Peter entered ecclesiastical career. It is unknown whether he attended a foreign university or was a pupil at the clerical school in Veszprém. Nevertheless, he was first mentioned as "magister" which confirmed his literacy. In the emerging 1260s civil war between Stephen and his father, King Béla IV, the Monoszló clan, including Peter remained loyal to the Duke. Peter held the office of vice-chancellor at Duke Stephen's court since 1266, replacing Lodomer. He served in that capacity until 1270, when Stephen ascended the Hungarian throne. Due to the activity of Stephen's chancellery, the literacy spread across Transylvania, following the other parts of the realm. Utilizing his past experience, Peter organized the first permanent episcopal chancellery in the province after he became bishop.
Bishop of Transylvania First years
Peter was elected Bishop of Transylvania still before the death of Béla IV, presumably in early 1270. His election was confirmed by the 1268–71 papal conclave by 13 June 1270. The new monarch, Stephen V rewarded the prelate's faithfulness for several years, when donated Kolozsvár (today Cluj-Napoca, Romania) and its surrounding areas to the Diocese of Transylvania, in addition to terra Obruth (today in Abrud, Romania) which was owned by the Transylvanian Chapter after 1271, according to later charters issued by Ladislaus IV and voivode Matthew Csák, respectively. With the acquisition of Kolozsvár, Peter Monoszló encircled the landholdings of the bishopric's long-time rival, the Kolozsmonostor Abbey (today Cluj-Mănăștur, Romania), forcing the Benedictine friars for unfavorable estate transfers and exchanges. Peter established a contiguous bishopric lordship in the western parts of Kolozs County; for instance he exchanged the lands of Piski (Hunyad County) and Akmár (Fehér County) for Körösfő in Kolozs County (present-day Izvoru Crișului, Romania) in 1276. The bishop also owned the nearby Kapus (Căpușu Mare) by 1282.
When Stephen V fell ill and died on 6 August 1272, it marked the beginning of the era of feudal anarchy, when two rival baronial groups struggled for power during the minority of Ladislaus IV under his mother, Elizabeth's regency. Peter, along with his kindred, supported the Csák league against the Kőszegi–Gutkeled–Geregye faction. Peter's brothers, Egidius and Gregory laid siege in late August to the Dowager Queen's palace in Székesfehérvár to "rescue" Ladislaus from the rival baronial group's influence. After the failure, they fled Hungary and handed over Pressburg (today Bratislava, Slovakia) to Ottokar II of Bohemia. Peter did not participate in his brothers' conspiracy, but became disgraced before the royal court, losing any support and further donations to the diocese. From 1272, Nicholas Geregye served as Voivode of Transylvania. His clan had aspirations to establish dominion independently from the royal power. Both Peter and his strong ally, Lodomer, Bishop of Várad opposed this ambition. Nicholas Geregye went through major difficulties to control Transylvania due to the counterbalancing activity of provincial authorities, Peter Monoszló and Matthew Csák. Sălăgean argues that the bishop "caught in a rather reserved attitude" towards the Geregye administration in Transylvania. Until 1275, Matthew Csák and Nicholas Geregye, rivals to each other, became voivodes several times in acorrdance with their baronial groups' rapid rises and falls in those turbulent years. Ladislaus IV confirmed the donation of Kolozsvár to the Diocese of Transylvania in 1275. Romanian historian Tudor Sălăgean considers this donation was never made and It was merely invented in 1275, by Peter Monoszló and the Csák baronial group as argument to justify the seizure of Kolozsvár by the prelate and their supporters in the name of the minor king. Both Egidius and Gregory lost all political influence for uncertain reasons after 1275, as they had never hold any dignities after that, despite the fact that their allies, the Csák group was able to return to govern the realm even at the end of the year. Peter remained the only member of his kindred who was influential over political matters following that year. By 1276, the St. Michael's Cathedral was rebuilt on the old foundation, which was formerly destroyed during the Mongol invasion of Hungary in 1241. Peter also ordered the construction of Szentmihálykő Castle (today in ruins near Meteș, Romania) in the same year. The Transyvanian Chapter asked permission at the same time through their envoys, provost Clement and dean Bartholomew from Ladislaus to receive privilege of tax exemption at the transportation of excavated product from the salt mine in Torda (today Turda, Romania). During that time (1276), Transylvania was administered by Matthew Csák. The relationship between the voivode and the bishop was cordial and cooperative; the former frequently issued his charters in the episcopal town of Gyulafehérvár, which thus became practically the center of the province. This political stability of power allowed Peter to devote his attention to the extension of the possessions of his diocese.
Saxon rebellion In 1277, Peter Monoszló had to face with a widespread revolt among the Saxons which caused severe destruction in Transylvania. According to historian Jenő Szűcs, Peter intended to extend the bishopric's influence over the provostry of Szeben (today Sibiu, Romania), but encountered sharp resistance from the Saxons. The bishop responded with violence, and a certain Alard, gräf (geréb) of the Saxon community in Vízakna (today Ocna Sibiului, Romania) was executed along with three canons. Alard's son, John took revenge and led a revolt against the diocese. The rebellion spread quickly, the infuriated Saxons stormed into the newly built St. Michael's Cathedral, see of the diocese on 21 February, looted the treasury, desecrated the shrines and massacred there about 2,000 asylum seekers, including canons, archdeacons and other priests. The Saxons also scorched and burned churches in the surrounding countryside.
Peter's immediate superior, Stephen Báncsa, the Archbishop of Kalocsa considered the revolt as "ethnically motivated" which was strengthened by the Saxons' "wistfulness for robbery". However earlier charters confirmed Peter's ethnic ignorance: he had approved the Saxon Dominicans' indulgences in Segesvár (today Sighișoara, Romania) and also employed Saxon carpenters at the construction of the St. Michael's Cathedral. The convened assembly at Rákos in May 1277 declared Ladislaus to be of age. The Estates authorized the fifteen-year-old monarch to restore internal peace with all possible means. On 30 May, Báncsa summoned an ecclesiastic congregatio in Buda, where Peter and other six bishops participated, and excommunicated John and his Saxon followers. The prelates also ordered them to pay reparations for their "devilish fury rampage". Despite the sentence, Peter had to rebuild the cathedral from his own budget ten years later, when he commissioned stonemason John, son of Tyno, to erect and restore the cathedral's damaged walls and tower. Ladislaus' faithful prelate, Archbishop-elect Nicholas Kán launched a royal punitive expedition against the Saxons in Szeben region in 1278, in the same time with the defeat of the Geregye dominion. As compensation, Peter was granted destroyed royal lands in Gyulafehérvár for the purpose of colonization. The bishop started to construct episcopal castles throughout the diocese. For instance, Leányvár in Szászfenes (today Florești, Romania) was built between 1282 and 1300 to invigilate the local Saxon communities and the rival Kolozsmonostor Abbey, in addition to protect the possessions of the cathedral chapter. He acquired the village (then simply Fenes) itself sometime between 1291 and 1299, which then split into Saxon and Vlach-inhabited parts after the latter's settlement by Peter Monoszló (present-day Florești and Vlaha in Romania, respectively).
Feudal anarchy The papal legate Philip, Bishop of Fermo arrived to Hungary in early 1279 to help Ladislaus to consolidate his authority, but the prelate was shocked at the presence of thousands of pagan Cumans in the realm. Since then Peter Monoszló, along with the other bishops, resided in Buda until October 1280. He participated in that synod which was committed to the defense of the Catholic faith and prescribed that the Cumans should leave their tents and live "in houses attached to the ground". Following that Ladislaus forced prelates to leave Buda for Pressburg, where Philip excommunicated him and placed Hungary under interdict in October. After that Peter resided in Esztergom at the archiepiscopal court of his mentor, Lodomer. Upon Peter's request in 1282, Ladislaus IV confirmed all donations and privileges made by his late father and grandfather in favor of the Diocese of Transylvania, exempting its possessions from the jurisdiction of the voivode and the ispáns of affected counties.
In 1281, local noble comes Stephen accused Peter's two familiares, Michael Chotow and Fuldur forcibly deported thirty-serf families and seized a huge part in the land of Gyovd, near Tasnád (today Tășnad, Romania) for the diocese. A trial was convened at Buda in September 1281, where Stephen was forced to resign from third part of the possession after an interrupted duel. In the same year, Peter filed a lawsuit against three members of the Dara branch of the Csák kindred, Michael, Ugrin and Barc, also owners of Selénd (today Șilindia, Romania), accusing them with arbitrary takeover of the diocese's land, Barátpüspöki in Bihar County. Through the mediation of vice-judge royal Stephen, the two litigants agreed with each other by releasing a smaller area to the Csák brothers. According to a charter from 1282, Peter's army destroyed quickly-built castles inhabited by highwaymen and robbers along the Szamos (Someș). On 23 June 1283, Peter signed a contract with the deacon of the Saxon ecclesial community in Medgyes (today Mediaș, Romania) to transmit the diocese's share of the collection of church taxes in the area for annual forty silver denari.