Campaigning against the Wallachians, King Charles Robert of Hungary’s army, including Cumans and Transylvanian troops under Voivode Tamas Szechenyi, was trapped ‘like fishes in a net’ and defeated in ambushes in the mountain passes by Voivode Basarab’s forces as it withdrew towards Transylvania, the final affray probably taking place at Lovistea in the valley of the River Olt. The ‘Kepes Kronika’ describes the overall battle as follows: ‘With his whole army he [Charles Robert] came to a defile where the road was shut in on either side by steep slopes; and ahead, where it broadened out, the way was blocked by strong barriers which the Wallachians had set up at many points. The king and all his men suspected nothing, and then from the top of the slopes on either side countless numbers of the Wallachians running back and forth hurled down missiles upon the king’s army in the road below. . . The sides of the defile were so precipitous that it was impossible to climb them against the Wallachians, nor could they go forwards because of the barriers.’
Considerable numbers of Hungarians and Cumans were thereby killed or captured, and even Charles Robert himself was nearly killed, only being rescued from the swords of as many as 5 Wallachians by one of his bodyguard. Another knight with whom he had exchanged surcoats was indeed killed in mistake for him. This decisive victory secured Wallachia’s independence from Hungary.
World History
