Sigismund II Augustus

Sigismund II Augustus (1520-1572) was a Polish king, the last member of the Jagiellon dynasty.^[1] He was also the Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1548 to 1572.^[2]

Sigismund II Augustus
Portrait by Lucas Cranach the Younger, 1553
King of Poland Grand Duke of Lithuania
Reign	1 April 1548 – 7 July 1572
Coronation	20 February 1530
Predecessor	Sigismund I
Successor	Henry of Valois
Born	1 August 1520 Kraków, Poland
Died	7 July 1572 (aged 51) Knyszyn, Poland
Burial	10 February 1574 Wawel Cathedral, Kraków, Poland
Father	Sigismund I
Mother	Bona Sforza

Biography

Sigismund II Augustus was born in Kraków on 1 August 1520.^[3] He was the only son (he had sisters) of king Sigismund I the Old and his wife, Italian princess Bona Sforza. His great grandfather was Wladislaw II Jagiello,^[4] the founder of the dynasty. Sigismund II Augustus was crowned as a child on 20 February 1530^[5] when his father was still alive (in Latin vivente rege).^[6] From 1544 he ruled in Lithuania.^[7] He was married three times but remained childless.^[8] He died on 7 July 1572 in Knyszyn.^[9] He was a Roman Catholic, but was known for his tolerance for Protestants.^[10]

When king Sigismund II Augustus received diplomats or made important decisions, he did so in the audience hall in the royal castle.^[11] This room was also called "Under the Heads" for the carved heads set in the ceiling.^[11] One of these was a woman's head.^[11] The legend says whenever he would make a decision she would speak in Latin (using rhyme and alliteration): Rex Auguste, iudica iuste ("King August, judge justly").^[11] He followed her advice but after that her mouth was covered with a ribbon so she would never again interfere in royal decisions.^[11]

Wooden heads at the Wawel castle in Cracow