Barbara Radziwilłówna, the second wife of Zygmunt August, died at the age of only 31. There has been long speculation about the causes of her death. It was suspected, inter alia, venereal disease. Most likely, however, the queen was defeated by the disease, which is still a huge challenge for medicine.
- Barbara Radziwiłłówna died less than six months after the coronation
- Before her death, she suffered a lot – she was consumed by a fever, and a growth growing in the abdominal cavity – considered an ulcer – caused great pain and gave off a stench
- Various diseases were mentioned among the causes of her death, including syphilis (syphilis) and an infection of the genital tract due to the use of infertility mixtures
- It is most likely, however, that the queen was defeated by cervical cancer
- More current information can be found on the Onet homepage.
The suffering of the dying Barbara Radziwiłłówna was commemorated by Józef Simmler in one of his paintings. Admittedly, he took care of the details. The figure of the queen presents a number of symptoms characteristic of the disease digesting her: sunken cheeks, swollen feet, emaciated hands and upper body, and severely swollen abdomen.
Next to Barbara Radziwiłłówna’s bed, there is a censer, on the one hand a symbol of saying goodbye to the world, on the other an object of practical use – eliminating the stench of rotting flesh. There is no service, only the husband, Zygmunt August, is left.
In a sense, in the story of Barbara Radziwiłłówna, one can find a tragedy that is familiar to contemporary people. She wanted to save her life at all costs, sought a quick coronation, deluding herself that it could become a magical medicine for her (in the XNUMXth century it was not only a political symbol, and monarchs were assigned the supernatural role of God’s anointed, link between the sacred and the profane).
Her spouse Zygmunt August he was ready to make the highest sacrifices to save his wife. He summoned a total of eight medics, and when they did not help them, in the last weeks of the queen’s life, he began giving alms, counting on God’s atonement. Ultimately, he ordered the most powerful witch that could be found in Lithuania to be brought in. But nothing could help sick Barbara anymore.
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