János Statileo (Croatian: Ivan Statilić; c. 1472 – 8 April 1542) was a writer, the Bishop of Transylvania, and a diplomat at the courts of King Louis II of Hungary and John Zápolya.
[3] Over time, the family name evolved from Stanossevich to Stanošević and eventually to Statilić in Croatian, Statileo in Venetian, and Statilius in Latin.
In 1516, King Lajos sent Statilić to Rome, where he addressed Pope Leo X and the cardinals, requesting financial support for the Bishop of Veszprém to aid in the fight against the Ottomans.
Due to his eloquence and fluency in Latin, Italian, Croatian, and Hungarian, along with his knowledge of French, German, and Polish, Statilić was an ideal candidate for diplomacy and became one of Hungary's most skilled diplomats.
[7] In 1521, King Lajos II sent Statilić, accompanied by an entourage of 18 staff, to Venice to request financial support from the Signoria for defense against the Turks.
[8] On 29 August, the same day Belgrade fell to Sultân Süleymân, Statilić, dressed in black mail armor, entered the Council of Venice.
He presented a letter from King Lajos and delivered a powerful speech in Latin, titled Iohannis Statilii Hungariae Legati Oratio, urging the Venetians to assist Hungary in its struggle against the advancing Ottoman forces.
[9] On 21 September, Doge Antonio Grimani responded, explaining that Venice, having signed a treaty with the Sultan in 1517, wished to maintain good relations with the High Porte and, therefore, could not provide Hungary with the aid requested by the king.
[10] For the remainder of his life, Statilić undertook numerous diplomatic missions on behalf of Zápolya, including the negotiations for the Franco-Hungarian Alliance of 1528.
[13][14] He also played a significant role, alongside Fráter György Martinuzzi (Juraj Utješenović), in negotiating the Peace of Várad, concluded on 4 February 1538.
On 11 February 1539, Papal nuncio Girolamo Aleandro, referencing comments by Pál Várdai,[15] wrote the following about Statilić: "... Statilium odio esse hominibus, quia sit avarus, rapax, inhonestus, satis doctus tamen et facundus et audax et in primis omnium mortalium maledicentissimus, qui etiam pontificibus et regibus non parcat.
"[16] (Statilius is hated by men because he is avaricious, rapacious, and dishonest, but quite learned, eloquent, audacious, and, above all mortals, the most slanderous, who spares not even popes and kings.
[18] After a brief stay, Statilić departed Vienna and arrived in Venice on 3 January 1539, where he attempted to persuade the Republic to join forces against the Turks.
In their discussions, Statilić highlighted the shared interests of Christendom and urged the Pope to mediate a peace agreement between the French king and the Habsburg emperor.
On 25 June, Statilić bid farewell to the French king and, two days later, wrote to English Chancellor Thomas Cromwell, informing him that he could not travel to London and would instead send Zápolya's Chamberlain, Péter Bábay, a Knight of the Golden Spur, to meet with Henry VIII.
[20] That year, he traveled to Antwerp, arriving in July, to meet with the English ambassador in Bruges and request a treaty and financial support to fight the Ottomans.
While in Italy, Statilić encountered difficulties when Ferdinand had arrested his secretary, who had been carrying a letter from the King of France urging the Hungarians to continue the fight against the Habsburgs.
Statilić overcame all obstacles and arrived in Ragusa (Dubrovnik) on 30 March 1541, in Belgrade on 10 April, and finally reached Transylvania, where debate continued over whether the Peace of Várad should be implemented.
[2] On 8 April 1542,[22] Ivan Statilić died of "un colpo di apoplessia" (a stroke of apoplexy)[8] and did not live to witness Ferdinand's failure during the Siege of Pest.
He was the last Bishop of Transylvania, and after his death, the Diet of Hungary appropriated the Transylvanian bishopric's revenues in favor of the royal family.