The foundations laid down by István proved to be rather solid. The first five hundred years of Hungarian history was a success story. Hungary established itself as a regional power in Central Europe and the Balkans: usually strong enough to defend its independence even from the contemporary superpowers and also strong enough to control smaller neighbouring states (which explains why some of our neighbours do not share our enthusiasm about this period). The country was a flourishing medieval kingdom, closing up to Western-European standards also in economical and cultural aspects.

Perhaps the most important chapter of these glorious centuries is the rule of king Mátyás (1458-1490). His father János Hunyadi (probably the most talented contemporary military leader and certainly Hungary's greatest military hero ever) managed to stop the advancing Turks in a series of brilliant battles between 1441 and 1456, which contributed to the long and prosperous reign of his son. Mátyás' famous "Black Army" deterred the Turks and ensured military supremacy over Central Europe. His famous renaissance court at Visegrád attracted many artists and his Corvina library at Buda was also world-famous. Hungary was at its peak.