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Catherine Jagellon

Kraków, 11 Nov 1526 – Stockholm Palace, 16 Sep 1583

10 facts3 sources

Facts and their sources

  • Born11 Nov 1526, Krakównot verified1 source
  • MarriedJohn III of Swedennot verified1 source
  • Died16 Sep 1583, Stockholm Palaceor 16 Nov 1583Records disagree1 source
  • FatherSigismund I the Oldnot verified1 source
  • MotherBona Sforzanot verified1 source

A life in time

  1. 11 Nov 1526

    Born in Kraków

  2. 1564–1568

    3 children are born

  3. 16 Sep 1583

    Dies in Stockholm Palace, aged 56

Family

See the tree

Parents

Partner

Children · 3

During her lifetime

She lived through 7 decades. Pick one to hear and see what it was like around Kraków.

General history, not a record about the family: each item says where it comes from.

The 1520s · Catherine is born in Kraków

In the news1525

Reformation upheavals of 1525

In 1525, violent Reformation urban revolts occurred in Baltic ports, while rebel peasants quoted Luther during a full-scale uprising.

Getting around

Difficult conditions for travelers and inns

Roads were often in poor condition, and finding suitable overnight shelter was difficult, with some inns described as being little better than a cattle-shed.

In the news1520

Poll tax established in 1520

A poll tax was agreed upon in 1520, with nobles paying based on landholdings and tenant farmers paying 1 grosz each.

Daily life

Dim interiors and limited kitchen space

Homes often lacked dedicated kitchens, with cooking performed in a hall or over a central fire, while small windows and expensive lighting made interiors dim.

What people wore

Footwear and status of clothing

Peasant footwear ranged from simple leather forms to boots, and clothing was considered portable wealth that was often stored, inherited, or used as a pledge. Married women were expected to cover their hair with bonnets or scarves, often adding a secondary headcloth called a podwika to cover the neck and décolletage.

Music

Music in church and home

In royal and urban churches, choirs like the Rorantists performed sophisticated a cappella polyphony, while townspeople in their homes sang a mix of Polish songs, French chansons, and Italian frottole.

At the table

Daily meat consumption

An average laborer on a Polish manor consumed approximately 300g of fatty meat every day.