Barbara Radziwiłł

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
"Barbara Radziwiłłówna" redirects here. For the 1936 Polish film, see Barbara Radziwiłłówna (film).

Barbara Radziwiłł
Grand Duchess consort of Lithuania
TenureSummer 1547 – 8 May 1551
Coronation7 December 1550
Born6 December 1520
Vilnius or Dubingiai, Lithuania
Died8 May 1551(1551-05-08) (aged 30)
Kraków, Poland
Burial23 June 1551
Vilnius Cathedral
SpouseStanislovas Goštautas
Sigismund II Augustus
HouseRadziwiłł family
FatherJerzy Radziwiłł
MotherBarbara Kolanka

Barbara Radziwiłł (

Polish nobles, including Queen mother Bona Sforza. Sigismund Augustus, assisted by Barbara's cousin Mikołaj "the Black" Radziwiłł and brother Mikołaj "the Red" Radziwiłł, worked tirelessly to gain recognition of their marriage and to crown Barbara as Queen of Poland. They succeeded and Barbara's coronation was held on 7 December 1550 at Wawel Cathedral. However, her health was already failing and she died just five months later. Even though it was brief, her reign propelled the Radziwiłł family to new heights of political power and influence.[1]

Her contemporaries generally viewed Barbara in a negative light, accusing her of promiscuity and

Kingdom of Poland
.

Marriage to Stanislovas Goštautas

Barbara was the youngest child of

Nesvizh, or 1523, as recorded on a plaque found in her tomb.[4] Details of her education are unknown, but it is unlikely that it was extensive.[3] From her correspondence, it is known that she could speak and write in Polish.[5] From a February 1549 letter it could be inferred that she understood at least some Latin,[6] but her letters to Sigismund Augustus had not a single Latin phrase.[7] According to her contemporaries, Barbara was very beautiful. Moreover, Barbara had an interest in fashion and cosmetics; she used perfumes and face powder.[8]

In 1536,

Ilia Ostrogski, the only son of Great Hetman Konstanty Ostrogski, fell through. The wedding of Barbara and Stanislovas Goštautas took place on 18 May 1537 in Goštautas' residence in Hieraniony. Her dowry included numerous silver and gilded tableware items, 24 fine horses, dresses of satin and damask decorated with gold and precious stones. In exchange, Stanislovas transferred property worth 8,000 kopas of Lithuanian groschens to Barbara.[5] Their marriage was childless. Stanislovas died unexpectedly after a brief illness on 18 December 1542.[5]

Marriage to Sigismund Augustus

Love affair and secret marriage

Sigismund II Augustus and Barbara Radziwiłł in Vilnius by Jan Matejko

Stanislovas Goštautas was the last male member of the

Hieraniony in October 1543 to take over the estate. It is likely that it was when Barbara and Sigismund Augustus became lovers,[9] though there is no evidence of the affair until after the death of Sigismund Augustus' first wife.[10]

In July 1544, Sigismund Augustus traveled to

Margaret of France.[13]

Sometime in 1547, Sigismund Augustus and Barbara

wed in secret. Neither exact date nor circumstances are known. The Lithuanian Chronicles recorded the doubtful claim that Sigismund Augustus was forced into the marriage when he was caught with Barbara by the Radziwiłł cousins.[14] According to research by Władysław Pociecha, the wedding probably took place between 26 July and 6 August.[12] Her cousin Mikołaj "the Black" Radziwiłł was sent to Kraków to inform the Polish court that Sigismund Augustus and Barbara were married since 25 November 1545.[12] It seems he failed the assignment and Sigismund Augustus had to travel to Poland himself. He departed Vilnius on 15 November; Barbara was sent to the Radziwiłł estate in Dubingiai. In a letter dated 20 November, courtier Stanisław Dowojno, starosta of Merkinė,[15] informed Sigismund Augustus that due to the difficult journey Barbara had a miscarriage.[16] If that indeed was true, and not an elaborate intrigue by the Radziwiłłs, it would explain the secret marriage – an attempt to provide legitimacy to the child.[17] Another explanation could be that the bleeding was caused by a rupture of an internal abscess, an early sign of her terminal illness.[18]

Political struggle for recognition

Barbara Radziwiłł in coronation robes and pearls that became her signature jewelry. 18th-century copy of an original 16th-century portrait.

Sigismund Augustus informed his parents of the marriage on 2 February 1548 in

Lithuanian nobles did not openly protest the marriage, but were distrustful of the Radziwiłłs and their rise to power.[19]

King Sigismund I the Old died on 1 April 1548. Sigismund Augustus, who briefly returned to Vilnius,

general sejm on 31 October – 12 December in Piotrków Trybunalski.[20] The sessions were loud and rowdy. The nobles, including voivodes Piotr Kmita Sobieński, Jan Gabriel Tęczyński, and Piotr Boratyński,[22] pleaded the King to abandon the marriage and even threatened to take up arms.[23] Sigismund Augustus steadfastly refused and stood by his wife; reportedly he even considered abdication.[24] The sejm ended in a stalemate.[25]

After the sejm, Sigismund and Barbara entered Kraków on 13 February 1549.

Eastern Orthodox believers in the east.[28] He also worked to threaten, bribe, or otherwise persuade Polish nobles not to oppose the marriage. His mother and one of the most vocal opponents, dowager Queen Bona Sforza, was removed from the court and moved to Mazovia.[29]

Illness and death

Death of Barbara Radziwiłł by Józef Simmler

At the next sejm in May–July 1550, no one objected to the marriage. Therefore, while neither the sejm nor the senate gave an express permission,

Archbishop of Gniezno.[31] However, her reign lasted only five months. Almost since her wedding in 1547, she complained of poor health, particularly of stomach pain or "internal stones".[18] After the coronation her health took a turn for worse. She had fever, stomach pain, lost appetite. A lump appeared on her stomach full of pus.[30] Sigismund Augustus asked to send women healers, including a Jewish woman, from Lithuania.[32]

In March 1551, her condition improved somewhat and she was able to receive a messenger from Bona Sforza who informed her that Bona recognized her marriage to Sigismund Augustus. It was described as her last victory.[33] Her health continued to decline and she had fever, diarrhea, nausea. Sigismund Augustus personally tended to his sick wife even though reportedly she stank of pus.[34] He wanted to take her to Niepołomice where he hoped that spring weather would lessen her suffering. When there was a doubt whether a special wagon to transport Barbara could fit through the city gates, Sigismund Augustus ordered the gate demolished.[33] Barbara died on 8 May 1551 in Kraków. She asked to be buried in Vilnius and her body was transported to Vilnius Cathedral, where she was buried on 23 June next to Sigismund Augustus' first wife Elizabeth of Austria. Her death was a severe loss to the King; it is said that for a good portion of the journey he followed her coffin on foot.[33] It was said that Sigismund Augustus became more serious, avoided parties, and liked to dress black for the rest of his life.[34]

The cause of her illness has been debated by contemporaries and historians. Secretary of

sexually transmitted disease.[30] There were persistent rumors that she was poisoned by Bona Sforza. Modern historians tend to think it was cervical or ovarian cancer.[18]

Physical remains

Remains of Barbara (painting by Ludomir Sleńdziński)

Her remains were found in Vilnius Cathedral after a flood in 1931. To preserve her body during the long summer trip from Kraków to Vilnius, it was covered in a mixture of ash and burnt lime.[35] While the wooden coffin rotted away, the lime hardened and formed a protective shell that preserved her bones rather well.[35] She was buried with regal symbols (silver gilded crown, silver scepter, golden orb with a cross) and jewelry (long gold necklace, three gold rings; one of them, gifted to her by Sigismund Augustus, was covered with black vitreous enamel and had three stones – brilliant, ruby, and emerald).[35] These and other artifacts were kept at Vilnius Cathedral, but they disappeared during World War II.[36]

Her skeleton was cleaned, conserved, and glued together by Michał Reicher and Witold Sylwanowicz, professors at

Stefan Batory University.[37] They calculated her height at 160.2 cm (5 ft 3 in), which was rather tall for her times. Her teeth were white and straight; her body was slim; her face and nose were narrow.[37] They also noted anatomical abnormalities – a cervical (extra) rib and particularly flat sacrum, which could indicate rickets, but the rest of her skeleton showed no signs of the disease.[38] However, they were unable to complete their monograph on the subject due to World War II.[38] Barbara's remains were moved to a crypt under the Chapel of Saint Casimir and remained untouched until 2001. Her height was recalculated at 162 cm (5 ft 4 in).[39] Using methods developed by Mikhail Mikhaylovich Gerasimov, Vytautas Urbanavičius reconstructed her facial features and revealed that she had an aquiline nose, a feature absent from her portraits.[39]

Personal correspondence

In total, there are 53 surviving letters from Barbara.[40] 44 of them were published by Alexander Przezdziecki in Jagiellonki polskie x XVI wieku (1868).[41] They are addressed to her family (41 letters to her brother Mikołaj "the Red" Radziwiłł, two letters to her nephews, one letter to her father Jerzy Radziwiłł, one letter to her mother Barbara Kolanka), her husband (8 letters), and Albert, Duke of Prussia (one letter in Latin).[42] It is known that she wrote many more letters to a wider circle of recipients, including Polish nobles and Isabella Jagiellon of Hungary.[43] The surviving letters do not represent actual number or frequency: Sigismund Augustus in his last will asked his sister Anna Jagiellon to destroy his personal correspondence, while Mikołaj "the Red" Radziwiłł was particularly careful to preserve all his correspondence.[44] 52 letters are in Polish (15 of them written by Barbara herself; the rest were written by her secretary Stanisław Koszutski).[42]

Her eight letters to Sigismund Augustus, all written between November 1547 and March 1548 from

royal "we" after she sent letters with singular "I".[49] She rarely writes about herself or politics.[6] She often inquired about the recipients' health and wished them good health, trusting God and His good grace.[50] Her correspondence with her brother was controlled by Sigismund Augustus; therefore she wrote several letters to him in secret from her husband.[51]

In popular culture

Pan Twardowski summons Barbara's ghost. Painting by Wojciech Gerson.

Barbara's life and death have inspired legends, paintings, literary works and film. The popular legend of Pan Twardowski has that Faust-like figure summoning Barbara's ghost for King Sigismund August. In 1817 Alojzy Feliński wrote a tragedy, and in 1858 Antoni Edward Odyniec a drama, Barbara Radziwiłłówna. A 19th-century lithograph by Michał Kulesza depicting her with pearls is considered among the painter's notable works.

In 1936 director Józef Lejtes directed the film "Barbara Radziwiłłówna" starring Witold Zacharewicz as the King Sigismund and Jadwiga Smosarska as Barbrara. The film gained international fame and recognition during Venice and Cannes film festivals.

In 1983 Janusz Majewski directed a film, Epitafium dla Barbary Radziwiłłówny (Epitaph for Barbara Radziwiłł) about Barbara's romance with King Sigismund August, her death and her posthumous return to Vilnius. Anna Dymna starred as Barbara, and Jerzy Zelnik as King Sigismund August. Barbara has also appeared as a major character in Królowa Bona (Queen Bona), TV series on Telewizja Polska.

In Lithuania, two plays Barbora Radvilaitė were written, by

Kaunas State Drama Theater and directed by Jonas Jurašas. It was also turned into a film, directed by Vidmantas Bačiulis
, in 1982. In 2012, musical Žygimanto Augusto ir Barboros Radvilaitės legenda by Anželika Cholina was described as the biggest and most expensive in Lithuania.

The story of Barbara Radziwiłł served as an inspiration for the title track from the 2013 album Czornaja Panna by the Belarusian folkmetal band Litvintroll, a lyrical account of Sigismund's pain and grief after Barbara's death. The band claims the song not only to have given the name to the album but also to have "set its whole outline."[52]

On 6 October 2018, a musical titled "The Legend of Zygimantas Augustas and Barbora Radvilaite," was performed at the Auditorium Theater in Chicago. The musical was directed and choreographed by Anzelika Cholina, composed by Mantas Jankavicius, and the libretto was authored by Romas Lileikis. The Lithuanian Choral Ensemble "Dainava" was utilized as the chorus.

Ancestors

References

  1. ^ Frost 2015, pp. 437–438.
  2. ^ a b Ragauskienė 2013.
  3. ^ a b Duczmal 2012, p. 68.
  4. ^ Kirkor & Kuchowicz 1991, p. 42.
  5. ^ a b c d e Duczmal 2012, p. 69.
  6. ^ a b Ragauskienė & Ragauskas 2001, p. 160.
  7. ^ Ragauskienė & Ragauskas 2001, p. 152.
  8. ^ Cynarski 2007, p. 72.
  9. ^ a b c d e f g Duczmal 2012, p. 70.
  10. ^ Frost 2015, p. 434.
  11. ^ Duczmal 2012, p. 527.
  12. ^ a b c Duczmal 2012, p. 71.
  13. ^ Cynarski 2007, p. 60.
  14. ^ Cynarski 2007, p. 62.
  15. ^ Jonynas 1934, p. 1234.
  16. ^ Duczmal 2012, p. 77.
  17. ^ Duczmal 2012, pp. 71–72.
  18. ^ a b c Frost 2015, p. 437.
  19. ^ a b c Duczmal 2012, p. 72.
  20. ^ a b c d e Duczmal 2012, p. 73.
  21. ^ Cynarski 2007, p. 66.
  22. ^ Cynarski 2007, pp. 67–68.
  23. ^ Duczmal 2012, pp. 73–74.
  24. ^ Cynarski 2007, p. 68.
  25. ^ a b c Duczmal 2012, p. 74.
  26. ^ Jonynas 1934, p. 1238.
  27. ^ Duczmal 2012, pp. 74–75.
  28. ^ a b Duczmal 2012, p. 529.
  29. ^ Duczmal 2012, p. 119.
  30. ^ a b c d Duczmal 2012, p. 75.
  31. ^ Jonynas 1934, p. 1239.
  32. ^ Klaniczay & Pócs 2008, pp. 186–187.
  33. ^ a b c Duczmal 2012, p. 76.
  34. ^ a b Cynarski 2007, p. 73.
  35. ^ a b c Andriulytė 2012, p. 335.
  36. ^ Budrys 2011.
  37. ^ a b Žalnora & Miežutavičiūtė 2011, p. 135.
  38. ^ a b Žalnora & Miežutavičiūtė 2011, p. 136.
  39. ^ a b Jankauskas 2013.
  40. ^ Ragauskienė 1999, p. 1.
  41. ^ Ragauskienė 1999, p. 2.
  42. ^ a b Ragauskienė 1999, p. 3.
  43. ^ Ragauskienė & Ragauskas 2001, pp. 138–139.
  44. ^ Ragauskienė & Ragauskas 2001, p. 140.
  45. ^ Ragauskienė & Ragauskas 2001, pp. 168–177.
  46. ^ Ragauskienė 1999, p. 4.
  47. ^ Ragauskienė 1999, p. 5.
  48. ^ Ragauskienė & Ragauskas 2001, p. 158.
  49. ^ Ragauskienė & Ragauskas 2001, p. 138.
  50. ^ Ragauskienė 1999, pp. 5–6.
  51. ^ Ragauskienė & Ragauskas 2001, pp. 152–153.
  52. ^ litvintroll.com (date of access: 11 July 2013)
  53. ^ Petrauskas 2003, p. 282.
  54. ^ a b c Petrauskas 2003, p. 267.
  55. ^ Petrauskas 2003, p. 215.

Bibliography

External links
Regnal titles
Preceded by
Queen consort of Poland

1547–1551 		Vacant
Title next held by
Catherine of Austria
Grand Duchess consort of Lithuania

1547–1551
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Barbara_Radziwiłł&oldid=1221124552"