Barbara Zápolya

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The native form of this personal name is Szapolyai Borbála. This article uses Western name order when mentioning individuals.
Barbara Zápolya
Grand Duchess consort of Lithuania
Tenure8 February 1512 – 2 October 1515
Coronation8 February 1512
Wawel Cathedral
Born1495
Trencsén, Kingdom of Hungary (most likely)
Died2 October 1515 (aged 19–20)
Kraków
Burial18 October 1515
Wawel Cathedral
Spouse
​
​
(m. 1512)​
Zápolya
FatherStephen Zápolya
MotherHedwig of Cieszyn

Barbara Zápolya (

Hedwig, Electress of Bradenburg
, but died soon after the birth of her second daughter Anna.

Marriage plans

She was the daughter of

Hungary.[1]

Habsburg dynasty and threatened to take up arms.[3] The conflict lost its urgency when Vladislaus' son and heir Louis II of Hungary was born in July 1506.[2]

In August 1506,

Voivode of Moldavia.[4]

Wedding

Marble bust of Barbara Zápolya long thought to be of Barbara Radziwiłł[5]

In April 1511, Sigismund sent

Francesco II Gonzaga, Marquess of Mantua.[7]

On 6 February 1512, Sigismund met Barbara in Łobzów, now a

district of Kraków.[7] That way 17-year-old Barbara and 45-year-old Sigismund entered Kraków together. The wedding and coronation ceremony took place on 8 February.[7] Her dowry was 100,000 red złoty, which was a very large sum. Sigismund's youngest sister Elisabeth, who married three years later, brought only 20,000 złoty as her dowry.[7] The celebrations, financed by a loan from Jan Boner, cost another 34,365 złoty.[7] This showed not only the riches of the Zápolya family but also the importance of a royal wedding to their family.[7] In exchange for the dowry, Barbara received the towns of Nowy Korczyn, Wiślica, Żarnowiec, Radom, Jedlnia, Kozienice, Chęciny, Stężyca, and others as well as income from custom taxes of several cities and an annual sum of 200 Hungarian florins from the Wieliczka Salt Mine.[7]

Queen of Poland and Grand Duchess of Lithuania

Sigismund's Chapel at Wawel Castle was originally constructed for Barbara Zápolya

Despite the age difference, the marriage was happy. The couple traveled together, even when Barbara was late in her pregnancy.

Hedwig was born on 15 March 1513 in Poznań.[8] After two months, Sigismund and Barbara departed towards Vilnius to attend to the renewed war with the Grand Duchy of Moscow. The two-month-old Hedwig was sent to Kraków.[8] The couple separated for the first time in July–September 1514 when Sigismund organized the army against Moscow.[8] Sigismund returned to his wife in Vilnius after the victory in the Battle of Orsha. In February 1515, the couple returned to Kraków where Barbara was reunited with her daughter after almost two years.[9] Barbara, pregnant with her second child, remained in Kraków while Sigismund traveled to Bratislava and then Vienna from March to August 1515. This was the second time that the couple separated.[9]

During that time, they exchanged frequent letters (20 letters by Sigismund and only two letters by Barbara survive) expressing their warm feelings for each other.[9] Sigismund particularly expressed his affection for Barbara and concern for her well-being, reminding her to take good care of her health and encouraging her to keep up her spirits.<[10] Contemporary sources almost universally praised Barbara for her virtues. Marcin Bielski wrote of her devotion to God, obedience to husband, kindheartedness and generosity to paupers.[11] Marcin Kromer even attributed the victory at Orsha to her Catholic piety and devotion, while Justus Ludwik Decjusz did not doubt that Barbara would join ranks of saints in the heaven.[11]

Despite her husband's affection and public support, Barbara did not have a strong political influence. For example, her mother and brother urged her to prevent

Grand Duchy of Moscow – Sigismund did not feel confident enough to fight two strong enemies and sought an alliance with the Emperor.[14]

Their second daughter Anna was born on 1 July 1515.

childbed fever or some other disease.[9] On 1 October 1515, Barbara suffered what was described as apoplexy, though it is impossible to determine the actual cause.[15] She died the next day and was buried at Wawel Cathedral. In 1517, Sigismund ordered the construction of the Sigismund's Chapel at the cathedral. Barbara and her daughter Anna, who died at the age of 5, were reburied in the completed chapel on 13 June 1533.[12]

Ancestors

References

Notes
  1. ^ a b c d e f g Duczmal 2012, p. 79.
  2. ^ a b c Duczmal 2012, p. 81.
  3. ^ a b c Duczmal 2012, p. 80.
  4. ^ a b c d Duczmal 2012, p. 82.
  5. ^ "International Exhibition "Portraits of the Rulers and Magnates of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania from Museums in Ukraine"". National Museum – Palace of the Grand Dukes of Lithuania. 2012-09-03. Retrieved 2014-11-11.
  6. ^ Duczmal 2012, pp. 82–83.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h Duczmal 2012, p. 83.
  8. ^ a b c d Duczmal 2012, p. 84.
  9. ^ a b c d e Duczmal 2012, p. 85.
  10. ^ Duczmal 2012, pp. 85, 87.
  11. ^ a b Duczmal 2012, p. 87.
  12. ^ a b c Duczmal 2012, p. 86.
  13. ^ Duczmal 2012, pp. 86–87.
  14. ^ Duczmal 2012, pp. 550–551.
  15. ^ Duczmal 2012, pp. 85–86.
Bibliography
  • Duczmal, Małgorzata (2012). Jogailaičiai (in Lithuanian). Translated by Birutė Mikalonienė; Vyturys Jarutis. Vilnius:
    ISBN 978-5-420-01703-6
    .
Barbara Zápolya
House of Zápolya
Born: 1495 Died: 2 October 1515
Royal titles
Preceded by
Grand Duchess consort of Lithuania

1512–1515 		Succeeded by
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