The central figure depicts the Hungarian King Matthias Corvinus (1458-1490), a native of Cluj.
This imposing statue of King Matthias Corvinus - Romanian Matei Corvin - stands in front of St. Michael's Church.
The equestrian statue was created by the sculptor Ioan Fadrusz and the architect Pakei Lajos.
Matthias was born in 1443 in Cluj and died in Vienna in 1490. He was King of Hungary from 1458 to 1490 and in the personal union also the Kingdom of Croatia. Legend has it that he went disguised as a beggar or a student disguised among the people, in order to inform themselves about the concerns and desires of the people.
The statue was awarded the Grand Prix at the Paris World Fair of 1900 and was solemnly unveiled at its present location in 1902.
