Władysław of Cieszyn (d. 1355)
Encyclopedia
Władysław of Cieszyn (1325/31 – May 1355) was a Polish prince member of the Piast dynasty
in the Cieszyn branch
.
He was the eldest son of Casimir I, Duke of Cieszyn, by his wife Euphemia, daughter of Duke Trojden I of Czersk
-Warsaw
.
, who ruled the Kingdom of Bohemia
, which can be observed in the politics of both Duke Casimir I and his successor Przemysław I Noszak.
The excellent relations between Władysław and the later Emperor Charles IV
(then King of Bohemia) provided a busy itinerary to him: from 1347 and until his death, the Polish prince was present in all the major events of the Bohemian court. No cause for amazement, therefore, that at the beginning of 1354 Władysław was appointed a Judge court by the King.
When on 10 November 1354 Charles IV called all his vassals to join him in trip to Rome in order to receive the Imperial crown, Władysław was one of immediately more closed to the future Emperor. His role as witness, moreover, is frequently described in documents issued of the House of Luxembourg. Of course, Władysław was present in first line in the imperial coronation on 5 April 1355 in Rome
.
However, Władysław's promising career had a suddenly and unexpected end. The prince is last mencioned in a document dated on 15 May 1355, and soon after he died in Pisa
. The circumstances about the death of the Cieszyn prince were further narrated by the Italian chronicler Matteo Villenis: according to him, the Polish prince Stefan (obviously the name is erroneous, but from the context, it's clear that only could be Władysław) went with part of the Bohemian retinue to Florence
, where Władysław was covered with high honors from the Emperor. After the banquet given in his honor, the prince fell heavily sick and soon after his return to Pisa he died. The death of his young favorite affected deeply to Charles IV, so that he decided to leave Italy immediately, especially from Pisa. This action caused the eruption of a violent anti-imperial riot, who was bloody clashed.
But this was a natural death or not?: Based on Matteo Villenis this fact is difficult to identify. Of course, the reasons for possible poisoning of Władysław were to warning the Emperor to leave Italy if he could escape from a similar fate, which in fact occurred.
There is another version of the death of prince of Cieszyn in Italy, by which he was killed during the anti-imperial riots in Pisa, saving Charles IV's life. However, this history is fanciful and rejected by the majority of historians.
For the above mencioned reasons, it generally assumed that Władysław of Cieszyn, the Judge court of Emperor Charles IV, died in Pisa on May 1355 as a result of poisoning. A document dated from 27 September 1355 mencioned that Władysław was alive, but this certainly was a confusion with his younger brother Przemysław, who shortly after his death received his titles and dignities. Władysław's remains never returned to Cieszyn; he was buried in the cathedral of Pisa, where his good worked tombstone was still there in the 15th century.
Piast dynasty
The Piast dynasty was the first historical ruling dynasty of Poland. It began with the semi-legendary Piast Kołodziej . The first historical ruler was Duke Mieszko I . The Piasts' royal rule in Poland ended in 1370 with the death of king Casimir the Great...
in the Cieszyn branch
Duchy of Cieszyn
The Duchy of Cieszyn or Duchy of Teschen or Duchy of Těšín was an autonomous Silesian duchy centered on Teschen in Upper Silesia. After the feudal division of Poland it was split off in 1281 and ruled by Silesian dukes from the Piast dynasty since 1290...
.
He was the eldest son of Casimir I, Duke of Cieszyn, by his wife Euphemia, daughter of Duke Trojden I of Czersk
Czersk
Czersk is a town in northern Poland in Chojnice County, Pomeranian Voivodeship.On July 1, 2006 this municipality celebrated 80 years of granting this community the status of city....
-Warsaw
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
.
Life
Władysław certainly belonged to the race of princes who placed their church careers at the service of a powerful monarchy. In the case of the Dukes of Cieszyn (who, like mostly of Silesian rulers, are tied to them by homage) they saw their position in close cooperation with the House of LuxembourgHouse of Luxembourg
The House of Luxembourg was a late medieval German dynasty, which between 1308 and 1437 ruled the Holy Roman Empire, twice interrupted by the rivaling House of Wittelsbach.-History:...
, who ruled the Kingdom of Bohemia
Kingdom of Bohemia
The Kingdom of Bohemia was a country located in the region of Bohemia in Central Europe, most of whose territory is currently located in the modern-day Czech Republic. The King was Elector of Holy Roman Empire until its dissolution in 1806, whereupon it became part of the Austrian Empire, and...
, which can be observed in the politics of both Duke Casimir I and his successor Przemysław I Noszak.
The excellent relations between Władysław and the later Emperor Charles IV
Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor
Charles IV , born Wenceslaus , was the second king of Bohemia from the House of Luxembourg, and the first king of Bohemia to also become Holy Roman Emperor....
(then King of Bohemia) provided a busy itinerary to him: from 1347 and until his death, the Polish prince was present in all the major events of the Bohemian court. No cause for amazement, therefore, that at the beginning of 1354 Władysław was appointed a Judge court by the King.
When on 10 November 1354 Charles IV called all his vassals to join him in trip to Rome in order to receive the Imperial crown, Władysław was one of immediately more closed to the future Emperor. His role as witness, moreover, is frequently described in documents issued of the House of Luxembourg. Of course, Władysław was present in first line in the imperial coronation on 5 April 1355 in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
.
However, Władysław's promising career had a suddenly and unexpected end. The prince is last mencioned in a document dated on 15 May 1355, and soon after he died in Pisa
Pisa
Pisa is a city in Tuscany, Central Italy, on the right bank of the mouth of the River Arno on the Tyrrhenian Sea. It is the capital city of the Province of Pisa...
. The circumstances about the death of the Cieszyn prince were further narrated by the Italian chronicler Matteo Villenis: according to him, the Polish prince Stefan (obviously the name is erroneous, but from the context, it's clear that only could be Władysław) went with part of the Bohemian retinue to Florence
Florence
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
, where Władysław was covered with high honors from the Emperor. After the banquet given in his honor, the prince fell heavily sick and soon after his return to Pisa he died. The death of his young favorite affected deeply to Charles IV, so that he decided to leave Italy immediately, especially from Pisa. This action caused the eruption of a violent anti-imperial riot, who was bloody clashed.
But this was a natural death or not?: Based on Matteo Villenis this fact is difficult to identify. Of course, the reasons for possible poisoning of Władysław were to warning the Emperor to leave Italy if he could escape from a similar fate, which in fact occurred.
There is another version of the death of prince of Cieszyn in Italy, by which he was killed during the anti-imperial riots in Pisa, saving Charles IV's life. However, this history is fanciful and rejected by the majority of historians.
For the above mencioned reasons, it generally assumed that Władysław of Cieszyn, the Judge court of Emperor Charles IV, died in Pisa on May 1355 as a result of poisoning. A document dated from 27 September 1355 mencioned that Władysław was alive, but this certainly was a confusion with his younger brother Przemysław, who shortly after his death received his titles and dignities. Władysław's remains never returned to Cieszyn; he was buried in the cathedral of Pisa, where his good worked tombstone was still there in the 15th century.