John Hunyadi's son Matthias Corvinus had been crowned king of Hungary in Buda in 1458 at the age of fifteen.

In 1471 Matthias renews the Serbian Despotate in south Hungary under Vuk Grgurević for the protection of the borders against the Ottomans.

In 1479 an Ottoman army, on its return home from ravaging Transylvania, is annihilated at Szászváros (modern Orăştie, October 13, 1479) in the Battle of Breadfield.

The following year Matthias recaptures Jajce, drives the Ottomans from northern Serbia and institutes two new military banats, Jajce and Srebernik, from reconquered Bosnian territory.In 1480 an Ottoman fleet seizes Otranto in the Kingdom of Naples.

At the earnest solicitation of the pope, Matthias sends the Hungarian general, Balázs Magyar, to recover the fortress, which surrenders on May 10, 1481.

Again in 1488, Matthias takes Ancona under his protection for a while, occupying it with a Hungarian garrison.