Sigismund II August and Barbara Radziwill: love that brought to the grave

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

Many stories related to famous people of the past keep centuries-old secrets. They are overgrown with legends and now it is difficult to understand what really happened. The legendary love story of the daughter of the magnate of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania Barbara Radziwill and the Polish king Sigismund August has become such an old mystery.

The love story of Sigismund II Augustus and Barbara Radziwill is built according to medieval canons: love against which the loved ones rebel and as a result they bring their beloved to the grave. An inconsolable widower trying to summon the spirit of the deceased. And on top of that - the ghost of the meanly murdered wife, who still appears in the castle. And today it is not so easy to figure out what is true and what is fiction in this story.

Sigismund II August Jagiellon

The Grand Duke of Lithuania was born, and later the King of Poland in 1520. His mother was Bona Sforza, a tough woman to the point of cruelty and a relative of the Borgia family, who loved to "solve" all problems with the help of poison. She strove to lead her weak-tempered son in everything. And not only in politics, but also in his personal life. Historians believe that thanks to her harsh upbringing, Sigismund grew up as an indecisive, dreamy and prone to mysticism.

However, many turned to mysticism in those days. Sigismund Augustus was educated, handsome and liked by women. The first wife of Sigismund was Elizabeth of Austria. However, the young people did not have a chance to live together: Bona Sforza sent Sigismund to rule in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. And the daughter-in-law remained with her and soon passed away. It was rumored that her mother-in-law had poisoned her according to her favorite Italian "tradition", although these rumors were not confirmed by anything.

Barbara Radziwill

Beauty Barbara Radziwil was born on December 6, 1520 in one of the richest and most influential families of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. She had the opportunity to get the best education and upbringing at that time. Barbara excelled in music, dance, singing and horse riding. And rumors about her beauty spread far beyond the borders of her homeland.

Barbara was married, as usual, and it was in such families, by and large. But by the age of 22 she was already a widow. Barbara differed from many noble ladies not only in natural beauty, but also in taste, grace and striving for purity, which at that time was not very accepted in high society. When Sigismund August saw her, he was immediately and forever fascinated by her.

Love story

King Sigismund invited Barbara and her brothers to the court. It is believed, and not without reason, that the meeting of the king with Barbara was arranged by her brothers themselves. Maybe you are right. Barbara was a widow and, therefore, quite free in her actions. Evil tongues assured that she was quite free in her conversion and had many lovers.

But it is impossible to say for sure whether this was true or whether Barbara was subsequently slandered by ill-wishers. Soon King Sigismund himself was widowed. And here in the ambitious heads of the Radziwill brothers the idea was born to marry the king-widower to his sister. But Barbara was not a suitable candidate on all sides: she was not of royal blood, moreover, she came from an overly powerful family that was practically a competitor to the Polish tycoons. Yes, and Bona Sforza wanted to have a more submissive daughter-in-law.

But Barbara's brothers delivered an ultimatum to the king: either he would marry their sister and stop disgracing her with the title of mistress, or he would never see her again. And they sent Barbara to the ancestral castle.

Sigismund missed his beloved, could not stand the separation and secretly went to visit her. But he fell into a trap: both brothers "accidentally" returned and found him in the castle in a very unequivocal position. The king had to marry. Although … it is unlikely that he did it so against his will.

Tragic denouement

Bona Sforza was furious, the diet also demanded to dissolve the marriage. But the previously indecisive king this time showed remarkable courage and defended his personal happiness. Barbara Radziwill was even recognized as the queen. But the family idyll was short-lived, she suddenly fell ill. The queen's illness was terrible and lasted more than one month.

The whole body of the handsome men was covered with disgusting abscesses and ulcers, exuding a stench. The best doctors could do nothing. The king looked after his beloved to the last, despite the disgusting stench from her. Died Barbara at the age of 31, according to some information in the arms of her husband. It was rumored that Bona Sforza poisoned her out of hatred. They wanted to bury Barbara in the royal tomb on Wawel, but King Sigismund II Augustus said: "Where they have shown ingratitude alive, it should not be left dead among such people." According to the will of the deceased, her coffin was taken to Vilna and placed first in the chapel of St. Casimir in the Vilnius Cathedral

Life after life

The king was inconsolable. He married for the third time, to the sister of his first wife, but was not happy and quickly parted with his wife. His penchant for mysticism became painful, Sigismund increasingly turned to magicians and sorcerers.

He tried, if not to return, then at least to see his deceased wife. According to legend, the famous sorcerer Pan Tvardovsky was able to summon the ghost of the deceased for him, strictly warning that he should not touch the ghost. But when Sigismund saw his dead wife, he rushed to hug her. The spirit vanished, leaving the king distraught with grief. There is a painting by a Polish artist dedicated to this episode.

The unfortunate king died in 1572. He did not have children in any marriage, and the ancient Jagiellonian family was interrupted on it. In recent years, Sigismund Augustus lived surrounded by numerous mistresses and witches, squandering the treasury and lamenting his fate. As the chronicles testify, there was no money in the treasury to pay for the funeral. But the best that was in this weak-willed, pampered man - his loyalty to the beautiful Barbara - became a source of inspiration for poets and artists of all time. And the ghost of Barbara Radziwill, if you believe the rumors, still wanders the halls of the Nesvizh castle today.

What is the truth in this story?

It is true that the king really was in love with Barbara so much that he went against the will of his despotic mother and the decision of the Diet. It is also true that he made friends with people whom we would now call psychics.

But whether someone managed to summon the ghost of the deceased Barbara is unknown, this can neither be confirmed nor refuted. Maybe this is just the imagination of an insanely yearning person. About the poisoning of Barbara Bona Sforza is also not completely clear.

There is a version that Barbara Radziwill was simply being treated for infertility (according to another version, for a venereal disease), and the drugs of that time included such "medicinal" drugs as mercury or arsenic. The only thing that is indisputable in this story is the boundless love of King Sigismund Augustus.

BONUS