Sigismund II Augustus (1520-1572), Polish: Zygmunt II August, was the only son of Sigismund I the Old., King of Poland, whom he succeeded in 1548, and Bona Sforza. At the very beginning of his reign he came into collision with the turbulent szlachta or gentry, who had already begun to oust the great families from power. The ostensible cause of their animosity to the king was his second marriage, secretly contracted before his accession, with the beautiful Lithuanian Calvinist, Barbara Rzadziwiłł, daughter of hetman Jerzy Radziwiłł. Zygmunt II August This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... April 1 is the 91st day of the year (92nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 274 days remaining. ... Events Mary I of Scotland sent to France Births Giordano Bruno, Italian philosopher, astronomer, occultist, and heretic, (burned at the stake) 1600 Cornelis Ketel, Dutch painter Carel van Mander, Dutch painter and poet (d. ... July 6 is the 187th day of the year (188th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 178 days remaining. ... Events January 16 - The Duke of Norfolk is tried for treason for his part in the Ridolfi plot to restore Catholicism in England. ... September 15 is the 258th day of the year (259th in leap years). ... Events September 20 - The Treaty of Ryswick December 2 – St Pauls Cathedral opened in London Peter the Great travels in Europe officially incognito as artilleryman Pjotr Mikhailov Use of palanquins increases in Europe Christopher Polhem starts Swedens first technical school. ... The Wawel Hill in Kraków Wawel (Polish Wzgórze wawelskie or for short Wawel) is the name of a lime hillock situated on the left bank of the Vistula in Kraków, Poland at an altitude of 228 metres above sea level. ... This article needs cleanup. ... The term Royal House refers to the official designation and name of a royal family instead of surname. ... The Jagiellons were a royal dynasty which reigned in some Central European countries between the 14th and 16th century. ... Reign From December 8, 1506 until April 1, 1548 Coronation On January 24, 1507 in the Wawel Cathedral, Kraków, Poland Royal House Jagiellon Parents Kazimierz IV Jagiellończyk Elżbieta Rakuszanka Consorts Katarzyna Telniczanka Barbara Zapolya Bona Sforza Children with Katarzyna Telniczanka Jan Regina Katarzyna with Barbara Zapolya Jadwiga Anna with Bona... Bona Sforza Bona Sforza (born February 2, 1494 - November 19, 1557) was a queen of Poland and a second wife of Sigismund I of Poland since 1518. ... The title given to this article is incorrect due to technical limitations. ... August 1st is the 213th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (214th in leap years), with 152 days remaining. ... Events January 18 - King Christian II of Denmark and Norway defeats the Swedes at Lake Asunde. ... Motto: none Voivodship Lesser Poland Municipal government Rada miasta Kraków Mayor Jacek Majchrowski Area 326,8 km² Population  - city  - urban  - density 757,500 (2004 est. ... July 6 is the 187th day of the year (188th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 178 days remaining. ... Events January 16 - The Duke of Norfolk is tried for treason for his part in the Ridolfi plot to restore Catholicism in England. ... Knyszyn is a town in north-eastern Poland. ... The Wawel Hill in Kraków Wawel (Polish Wzgórze wawelskie or for short Wawel) is the name of a lime hillock situated on the left bank of the Vistula in Kraków, Poland at an altitude of 228 metres above sea level. ... Motto: none Voivodship Lesser Poland Municipal government Rada miasta Kraków Mayor Jacek Majchrowski Area 326,8 km² Population  - city  - urban  - density 757,500 (2004 est. ... February 10 is the 41st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... Events April 14 - Battle of Mookerheyde. ... Events January 18 - King Christian II of Denmark and Norway defeats the Swedes at Lake Asunde. ... Events January 16 - The Duke of Norfolk is tried for treason for his part in the Ridolfi plot to restore Catholicism in England. ... Reign From December 8, 1506 until April 1, 1548 Coronation On January 24, 1507 in the Wawel Cathedral, Kraków, Poland Royal House Jagiellon Parents Kazimierz IV Jagiellończyk Elżbieta Rakuszanka Consorts Katarzyna Telniczanka Barbara Zapolya Bona Sforza Children with Katarzyna Telniczanka Jan Regina Katarzyna with Barbara Zapolya Jadwiga Anna with Bona... Events Mary I of Scotland sent to France Births Giordano Bruno, Italian philosopher, astronomer, occultist, and heretic, (burned at the stake) 1600 Cornelis Ketel, Dutch painter Carel van Mander, Dutch painter and poet (d. ... Bona Sforza Bona Sforza (born February 2, 1494 - November 19, 1557) was a queen of Poland and a second wife of Sigismund I of Poland since 1518. ... In an unadorned church, the 17th century congregation stands to hear the sermon. ... The title given to this article is incorrect due to technical limitations. ... Hetman (from Czech: hejtman, German: Hauptmann, Turkish: Ataman) was the title of the second highest military commander (after the monarch) used in 15th to 18th century Poland and Grand Duchy of Lithuania, known from 1568 to 1795 as the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. ... Noble Family Radziwiłł Coat of Arms Trąby Parents Mikołaj Radiwiłłowicz Zofia Anna Monwind Consorts Barbara Kiszka Barbara Kola Children with Barbara Kola Mikolaj Rudy Radziwiłł Anna Elżbieta Radziwiłł Barbara Radziwiłł Date of Birth 1480 Place of Birth  ? Date of Death April, 1541 Place of Death  ? Jerzy Radziwiłł (1480-1541) was...

But the Austrian court and Sigismund's own mother, Queen Bona, seem to have been behind the movement, and so violent was the agitation at Sigismund's first diet (October 31, 1548) that the deputies threatened to renounce their allegiance unless the king instantly repudiated Barbara. This he refused to do, and his moral courage united with no small political dexterity enabled him to win the day. By 1550, when he summoned his second diet, a reaction in his favor began, and the lingering petulance of the gentry was sternly rebuked by Kmita, the marshal of the diet, who openly accused them of attempting to diminish unduly the legislative prerogative of the crown. The death of Barbara, five days after her coronation (December 7, 1550), under very distressing circumstances which led to an unproven suspicion that she had been poisoned by Queen Bona, compelled Sigismund to contract a third purely political union with the Austrian archduchess Catherine, the sister of Sigismund's first wife Elizabeth, who had died within a year of her marriage with him, while he was still only crown prince. The third bride was sickly and unsympathetic, and from her Sigismund soon lost all hope of progeny, to his despair, for being the last male of the Jagiellos in the direct line, the dynasty was threatened with extinction. He sought to remedy the evil by liaisons with two of the most beautiful of his countrywomen, Barbara Gizanka and Anna Zajanczkowska, the diet undertaking to legitimatize and acknowledge as his successor any heir male who might be born to him; but their complacency was in vain, for the king died childless. Categories: People stubs | 1494 births | 1557 deaths | Polish queen consorts ... October 31 is the 304th day of the year (305th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 61 days remaining, as the final day of October. ... Events Mary I of Scotland sent to France Births Giordano Bruno, Italian philosopher, astronomer, occultist, and heretic, (burned at the stake) 1600 Cornelis Ketel, Dutch painter Carel van Mander, Dutch painter and poet (d. ... Events February 7 - Julius III becomes Pope. ... December 7 is the 341st day (342nd on leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Events February 7 - Julius III becomes Pope. ... Wiktionary has a definition of: Catherine Catherine is a womans given name, derived from a Greek word (katharos) meaning pure. Alternate forms include: Catalina Cate Catharine Cathryn Cathy Ekaterina Katherine Kathryn Katrina Kathleen Kate Kitty Kaatya A number of famous women have had this name: Catherine the Great was...

Barbara Radziwiłł death, 19th century painiting by Wojciech Gerson

This matter of the king's marriage was of great political importance, the Protestants and the Catholics being equally interested in the issue. Had he not been so good a Catholic Sigismund might well have imitated the example of Henry VIII. By pleading that his detested third wife was the sister of his first and consequently the union was Uncanonical. The Polish Protestants hoped that he would take this course and thus bring about a breach with Rome at the very crisis of the confessional struggle in Poland, while the Habsburgs, who coveted the Polish throne, raised every obstacle to the childless kings remarriage. Not till Queen Catherine's death on, February 28, 1572, were Sigismund's hands free, but he followed her to the grave less than six months afterwards. Sigismund's reign was a period of internal turmoil and external expansion. Download high resolution version (800x698, 73 KB)barbara radziwill death, painting from 19th century 19th century painiting by Wojciech Gerson This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... Download high resolution version (800x698, 73 KB)barbara radziwill death, painting from 19th century 19th century painiting by Wojciech Gerson This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... Protestantism is a general grouping of denominations within Christianity. ... Henry VIII King of England and Ireland by Hans Holbein the Younger His Grace King Henry VIII (28 June 1491–28 January 1547) was King of England and Lord of Ireland (later King of Ireland) from 22 April 1509 until his death. ... Habsburg (sometimes spelled Hapsburg, but never so in official use) was one of the major ruling houses of Europe. ... In English, this name, which is derived from Greek may be spelled Catherine, Katherine, Katharine, or Kathryn. ...

He saw the invasion of Poland by the Reformation, and the democratic upheaval which placed all political power in the hands of the szlachta; he saw the collapse of the ancient order of the Knights of the Sword in the north (which led to the acquisition of Livonia by the republic) and the consolidation of the Turkish power in the south. Throughout this perilous transitional period Sigismunds was the hand which successfully steered the ship of state amidst all the whirlpools that constantly threatened to engulf it. A far less imposing figure than his father, the elegant and refined Sigismund II was nevertheless an even greater statesman than the stern and majestic Sigismund I. The Protestant Reformation was a movement which began in the 16th century as a series of attempts to reform the Roman Catholic Church, but ended in division and the establishment of new institutions, most importantly Lutheranism, Reformed churches, and Anabaptists. ... Szlachta ( pronounced: [ʃlaxta]) was the noble class in Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania ( Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth). ... The Livonian Brothers of the Sword (Latin Fratres militiae Christi, literally the brothers of the army of Christ), also known as the Christ Knights, Sword Brethren or The Militia of Christ of Livonia, was a military order started in 1202 by Albert von Buxhövden, bishop of Riga (or Prince-Bishop... This article is about the region in Europe. ... Reign From December 8, 1506 until April 1, 1548 Coronation On January 24, 1507 in the Wawel Cathedral, Kraków, Poland Royal House Jagiellon Parents Kazimierz IV Jagiellończyk Elżbieta Rakuszanka Consorts Katarzyna Telniczanka Barbara Zapolya Bona Sforza Children with Katarzyna Telniczanka Jan Regina Katarzyna with Barbara Zapolya Jadwiga Anna with Bona...

"Death of Sigismund II Augustus at Knyszyn", oil on canvas by Jan Matejko, 1886, National Museum in Warsaw.

Tenacity and patience, the characteristics of all the Jagiellos, he possessed in a high degree, and he added to them a supple dexterity and a diplomatic finesse which he may have inherited from his Italian mother. Certainly no other Polish king so thoroughly understood the nature of the ingredients of that witch's cauldron, the Polish diet, as he did. Both the Austrian ambassadors and the papal legates testify to the care with which he controlled this nation so difficult to lead. Everything went as he wished, they said, because he seemed to know everything beforehand. He managed to get more money than his father could ever get, and at one of his diets won the hearts of the whole assembly by unexpectedly appearing before them in the simple grey coat of a Masovian squire. Like his father, a pro-Austrian by conviction, he contrived even in this respect to carry the Polish nation, always so distrustful of the Germans, entirely along with him, thereby avoiding all serious complications with the ever dangerous Turk. Death of Sigismund Augustus at Knyszyn by Matejko This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... Death of Sigismund Augustus at Knyszyn by Matejko This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... Knyszyn is a town in north-eastern Poland. ... Categories: Stub | Polish painters | 1838 births | 1893 deaths ... Warsaw (Polish: Warszawa, see also other names, in full The Capital City of Warsaw, Polish: Miasto Stołeczne Warszawa) is the capital of Poland and its largest city. ... Masovia (Polish: Mazowsze) is a geographical and historical region situated in central Poland with its capital in Warsaw. ...

Only a statesman of genius could have mediated for twenty years, as he did, between the church and the schismatics without alienating the sympathies of either. But the most striking memorial of his greatness was the Union of Lublin, which finally made of Poland and Lithuania one body politic called Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth or Rzeczpospolita, and put an end to the jealousies and discords of centuries. The merit of this crowning achievement belongs to Sigismund alone; but for him it would have been impossible. Sigismund II died at his beloved Knyszyn on July 6, 1572, at the age of 52. The Union of Lublin, painted by Jan Matejko The Union of Lublin (Belarusian: Лю́блінская ву́нія; Polish: Unia lubelska) - signed July 1, 1569 in Lublin, united the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania into a single state, the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth with official name: Rzeczpospolita Obojga Narodów (The... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Knyszyn is a town in north-eastern Poland. ...

This article incorporates text from the public domain 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica. Reign From December 8, 1506 until April 1, 1548 Coronation On January 24, 1507 in the Wawel Cathedral, Kraków, Poland Royal House Jagiellon Parents Kazimierz IV Jagiellończyk Elżbieta Rakuszanka Consorts Katarzyna Telniczanka Barbara Zapolya Bona Sforza Children with Katarzyna Telniczanka Jan Regina Katarzyna with Barbara Zapolya Jadwiga Anna with Bona... Poland was ruled by dukes (c. ... Henry III (French: Henri III; Polish: Henryk III Walezy; September 19, 1551 – August 2, 1589) was King of Poland (1573-1574) and subsequently King of France (1574-1589). ... The public domain comprises the body of all creative works and other knowledge—writing, artwork, music, science, inventions, and others—in which no person or organization has any proprietary interest. ... The Eleventh Edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica ( 1911) in many ways represents the sum of knowledge at the beginning of the 20th century. ...