[2] During one of the first Ottoman incursions at the borderland of the Kingdom of Hungary, Margaret was abducted from the family seat, the village of Egerszeg in Temes County (today part of Vermeș in Romania).
Premonstratensian monk and historian L. Bernát Kumorovitz connected the abduction with King Louis I's 1375 campaign against Wallachia which entered into alliance with the Ottoman Empire during the rule of Vladislav I.
[3] Margaret's father Benedict compiled his last testament in the next year as intended to pilgrimage to the Holy Land, alongside Voivode Stephen Lackfi.
[4] As Margaret was only found by 1405 and she had two underage children, historian Pál Engel considered 1375 as date of the abduction is too early, as it would be difficult to believe that she was still being searched for thirty years later, and she could not have minor daughters still in 1408.
[5] Péter E. Kovács highlighted Benedict Himfi has been granted permission to journey to the Holy Land already on 27 June 1375, when the Wallachian campaign was still happening.
[6] As Margaret has not forgotten her origin, kinship and native language, the date of 1391–92 is more acceptable, as she had to be more than eleven years old during the abduction (Benedict died in 1380), but she could have still minor children in 1405.
E. Kovács argued it is also possible that Margaret was abducted and enslaved by Ottoman marauders during a small skirmish, and not during a large-scale campaign.
As he failed to take the noblewoman back to home after the arrangement, it is probable he may have been asked because he intended to travel with some other purpose, for instance Christian pilgrimage or diplomatic mission.
[10] On 1 July 1408, Darvasio turned to the Great Council of Venice to complain that neither Nicholas Marcali nor John of Redel had been reimbursed for Margaret's travel expenses.
As an esteemed member of the Italian community in Hungary, Bernardi received Darvasio's demands and promised his intercession to the royal court.
[10] According to him, his "late friend", Benedict Himfi had commissioned Bernardi to send 200 gold to Padua in 1373, but before her arrival, he did not know Margaret's fate.
Though he was arrested and a large portion of his assets was confiscated in 1402, to the pressure of the German community, he retained his influence at the royal court and the Hungarian nobility.
[8] Bernardi promised he will adopt Marieta and Iacoba as his legitimate children, if Marcali or the Himfis refuse to take care Margaret and her minor daughters hereinafter.