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Sigismund II Augustus

Kraków, 11 Aug 1520 – Knyszyn, 17 Jul 1572

9 facts3 sources

Facts and their sources

  • Born11 Aug 1520, Krakównot verified1 source
  • TitleKing of Poland, 1530–1572not verified1 source
  • Died17 Jul 1572, Knyszynnot verified1 source
  • MotherBona Sforzanot verified1 source
  • FatherSigismund I the Oldnot verified1 source

A life in time

  1. 11 Aug 1520

    Born in Kraków

  2. 1530–1572

    King of Poland

  3. 18 Sep 1571

    A daughter is born

  4. 17 Jul 1572

    Dies in Knyszyn, aged 51

Family

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Parents

Partners

Children · 1

During his lifetime

He lived through 6 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 · Sigismund II 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

Common and Noble Modes of Travel

Ordinary people often traveled on foot or in simple carts called kolasa, whereas wealthy nobles frequently traveled on horseback or in carriages known as kolebka, which were suspended on leather straps for comfort.

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

Protective names given to young children

Before a formal naming ceremony at the first haircut, children were given protective names like Wolf or Not-Mine to mislead evil spirits.

What people wore

Layered clothing of the middle class

Women wore a long linen undergarment called a giezło, often topped with a dress that was laced at the sides, while men wore linen shirts and shorts known as gacie. Household tools like keys, purses, and needle cases were often attached to a woman's belt.

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.