Sigismund II Augustus
Sigismund II Augustus (1520-1572) was a Polish king, the last member of the Jagiellon dynasty.[1] He was also the Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1548 to 1572.[2]
| Sigismund II Augustus | |
|---|---|
 Portrait by Lucas Cranach the Younger, 1553 | |
| King of Poland Grand Duke of Lithuania | |
| 1 April 1548 – 7 July 1572 | |
| 20 February 1530 | |
| Predecessor | Sigismund I |
| Successor | Henry of Valois |
| Born | 1 August 1520 Kraków, Poland |
| Died | 7 July 1572 (aged 51) Knyszyn, Poland |
| Burial | 10 February 1574 Wawel Cathedral, Kraków, Poland |
| Father | Sigismund I |
| Mother | Bona Sforza |
Biography
Sigismund II Augustus was born in Kraków on 1 August 1520.[3] He was the only son (he had sisters) of king Sigismund I the Old and his wife, Italian princess Bona Sforza. His great grandfather was Wladislaw II Jagiello,[4] the founder of the dynasty. Sigismund II Augustus was crowned as a child on 20 February 1530[5] when his father was still alive (in Latin vivente rege).[6] From 1544 he ruled in Lithuania.[7] He was married three times but remained childless.[8] He died on 7 July 1572 in Knyszyn.[9] He was a Roman Catholic, but was known for his tolerance for Protestants.[10]
When king Sigismund II Augustus received diplomats or made important decisions, he did so in the audience hall in the royal castle.[11] This room was also called "Under the Heads" for the carved heads set in the ceiling.[11] One of these was a woman's head.[11] The legend says whenever he would make a decision she would speak in Latin (using rhyme and alliteration): Rex Auguste, iudica iuste ("King August, judge justly").[11] He followed her advice but after that her mouth was covered with a ribbon so she would never again interfere in royal decisions.[11]
Sigismund II Augustus Media
A 1568 Lithuanian coin of Sigismund II Augustus with Vytis and the Columns of Gediminas
Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania, where the ceremony (1529) of Sigismund II Augustus was held
Child armour of Sigismund II Augustus, which was commissioned by Emperor Ferdinand I for his daughter's Elizabeth of Austria marriage with Sigismund II Augustus
Portrait of Barbara Radziwiłł by Lucas Cranach the Younger, ca. 1553
Portrait of Sigismund Augustus in armour, 1550s
Portrait of Catherine of Austria by Lucas Cranach the Younger.
Death of Sigismund II Augustus at Knyszyn, by Jan Matejko
Tomb of Sigismund Augustus in the Sigismund Chapel at Wawel Cathedral in Kraków, Poland
Letter from Hürrem Sultan, wife of Suleiman the Magnificent, to Sigismund Augustus, complimenting him on his accession to the throne, 1549
_and_the_Columns_of_Gediminas,_minted_in_1568.jpg)
References
- ↑ Philip W. Barker, Religious Nationalism in Modern Europe: If God be for Us (London; New York: Routledge, 2009), p. 86
- ↑ Henry Kamen, Who's who in Europe, 1450-1750 (London; New York: Routledge, 2000), p. 274
- ↑ "Lithuania". MedievalCoinage.com. Retrieved 9 October 2016.
- ↑ Władysław II Jagiełło, king of Poland, Encyclopaedia Britannica.
- ↑ Zygmunt II August, Encyklopaedia PWN (in Polish).
- ↑ Elekcja, Encyklopedia PWN.
- ↑ Zygmunt II August, Encyklopedia PWN.
- ↑ Sigismund-II-Augustus, Encyclopaedia Britannica.
- ↑ Sigismund-II-Augustus, Encyclopaedia Britannica.
- ↑ Sigismund-II-Augustus, Nekropole.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 11.4 "Wawel Royal Castle". KAR Net. Kraków Travel. Retrieved 9 October 2016.
Other sources
- Stanisław Cynarski, Zygmunt August, Ossolineum, Wrocław 1988 (in Polish).