Bon Sforts

History is never written under one mathematical character, and historical will rub is not drawn by only one paint. The queen Bona – one of the most ambiguous figures in our history. Beauty wife, good mother, angry mother-in-law. At everything at the same time it was wise state the figure who much made for the Belarusian earth.

Bon Sforts became the spouse of the head of Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the king Polish Zhigimont (Sigismund) Old in 1518. Become a widow/widower three years before Zhigimont of I dreamed of the son. From first marriage it had two daughters, but absence of successors on the man's line threatened to interrupt a dynasty Yagellonov. Till a marriage future queen got a brilliant education, she knew the right, geography, Latin, theology, philosophy and mathematics. In her veins Medici and Borgia's blood flew. Bon met great Leonardo da Vinci who worked in the palace of her parents Gian Galeazzo Sforz and Isabella Aragonskaya. The daughter of the Milan duke was considered as good party, besides it was twice younger than the groom, differed in beauty and rare mind.

Zhigimont met the darling near Krakow, their solemn entry into the capital was accompanied by more than 10 thousand shlyakhtichy. The road was carpeted also in the flowers. Next day in the evening guests saw royal couple to bedroom doors where the 51-year-old king sat down on a bed on the right side, 24-summer Bona – with left. Servants served them wine and sweets, and newly married remained alone...

In a year at Bona the daughter was born. Zhigimont it was very disappointed. But soon the queen became pregnant again, and on August 1, 1520 the long-awaited successor was born. At a baptism he received a patrimonial name of Zhigimont and ambitious – Augustus.

Queen-mother
The strong personality, Bon Sforts perfectly owned art of policy. Possessed vigorous energy and that is important, huge ambitions and ability to make decisions. Had truly the southern temperament, did not suffer objections and always tried to obtain the … not caress, so scandal.

With ability inherent in Medici's family to spin intrigues the queen in details undertook providing to the son of the bright royal future. He was only two years old when she achieved confirmation of birth rights of the son to Grand Duchy of Lithuania. The II August ascended to a grand-ducal throne of Zhigimont on October 18, 1529 – this day the nine-year-old boy received a sword and a cap of the grand duke and took the place between mother and the father in a throne-room of the vilensky lock. It became the most young of grand Lithuanian dukes.

In a year efforts of mother during lifetime of the father he was chosen as the king of Poland. Then the senior Zhigimont also got the nickname Old. Except the oldest daughter Isabella, the queen gave birth to three more – Sofya, Anna, Katerina. They were enviable European brides: Isabella became the queen of Hungary, Ekaterina subsequently – the queen of Sweden, Sofia – the great duchess Braunschweig-Volfenbyutelsky, Anna – the wife of the king of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth Stefan Batory.

Educator
In spite of the fact that the Polish, Belarusian and Ukrainian historical chronicles not too flatterly spoke of the queen, these lands are obliged to her by extraordinary cultural and economic rise. Sfortsa introduced the Italian luxury in Lithuanian princely and Polish royal the yards. The bond and its Italian environment (and arrived with it the person three hundred) exerted positive impact on rough customs of the local nobility. The gluttony and alcoholism were limited, on feasts and receptions a certain similarity of the European refinement appeared. Ladies did not fail to bring a decollete into fashion.

It brought with itself numerous suite from the Italian masters and cooks. At it on east lands it became fashionable to part many types of unknown in this party of vegetables and fruit earlier: on tables of the Krakow and vilensky magnates oranges, lemons, a fig, olives, raisin, almonds appeared. In locks voices of exotic parrots became for the first time heard. It is considered that even forks to the Polish-Lithuanian state were brought by Bona.

But its cultural contribution to our fatherland is much more powerful, than familiarizing of a shlyakhta with the European traditions. Thanks to Bon Europe heard "The song about a bison", with its support the well-known poem of Mikola Gusovsky was published in 1523 in Krakow. The grateful poet devoted several lines in the preface to the queen.

In four years the bison sung by Gusovsky will play a fatal role in destiny of a royal couple: Bona in 1527 waited for the second boy. Despite the "interesting situation", decided to go to hunting as adored passion of this man's entertainment. From Bialowieza Forest for royal hunting specially brought in a cage of a huge bear. The animal first behaved quietly, but then got furious, lifted up about ten dogs, fell into rage and, at last, rushed on people – among the first he attacked horse Bona. It sharply turned a horse to skip away, but the horse stumbled, and the queen took off from a saddle.

As a result of forest "road accident" she prematurely gave birth to the son who was christened Wojciech Albrecht and who died on the same day. Bona had no more children. That ill-fated year it executed 33 years, and to the king Zhigimont Stary – 60.

Wise ruler
The beautiful Italian was generously endowed with economic thinking, dexterity, courage and extraordinary thirst of money. Its wealth increased thanks to own acquisitions and considerable gifts of the husband, especially on the Belarusian lands. For the second year of matrimonial life Bona received from it Kobrin and Pinsky principalities. As the empress of Pinsk Bona was titled by Pinensis domina.

The same year Zhigimont Old Suprasl to Kovno through all Grodnenshchina – 200 km in length and 50 in width presented to the beloved wife a dense forest from the river. Only from the possession in Belarus and Lithuania Bona received 36 000 ducats annually – this income was called "the Neapolitan sums". In reign of the queen Bona the town of Motol (now the Ivanovo Region of Brest region) acquired the Magdebourg right in 1553, for nearly 30 years before ancient Pinsk. On her order in Motole the palace which ruins at the beginning of the XX century looked very impressively was built. In the royal residence the numerous Italian servants worked. Among locals the surnames having the Italian roots – Palto, Kuzyur, Bazan are still widespread.

Unloved magnates and shlyakhty
But, despite all this, the Italian was not too loved on the new homeland. Court did not take special liking for it. Repayment of grounds, distribution of positions especially approximate, election and juvenile Sigismund Augustus's crowning at the well father of an opolchila against Bona the Polish shlyakhta. And though thanks to a huge fortune, the ambitious Italian it was succeeded to organize support group in the Senate, not easy was to it in new lands.

Liked to tell dirty and terrifying stories about the queen. Spoke as long as possible to remain young, Bona bathed in blood of innocent girls who were thrown out on a wheel with thorns in one of towers of the royal castle. So allegedly 300 virgins died. One more favourite story of the local nobility about the queen-foreigner – about her officer harem. Allegedly she suited orgies with participation of several tens handsome security guards (and it generally there were Poles, Scots and Germans). On it it was immediately reported on her husband who ordered to execute all lovers. But Bona implored at Zhigimont Stary for forgiveness for every 3rd, 9th and 27th officer from the list. Some undertake to claim that after this history and the man's tradition went in the people to lift a toast for women in such sequence!

Mother-in-law poisoner
The bond was fine and careful (sometimes to extremes) mother. At the same time she desperately did not love those women who were preferred by her son. To the favourite Bona chose the first bride: one of daughters of the Czech and Hungarian king Ferdinand 17-year-old ertsgertsoginya the Austrian Elizabeth became 23-year-old Zhigimont Augustus's spouse.

Crowning of the young queen took place in May, 1543, and from that minute Bona just did not hide hatred to the daughter-in-law. It did not allow Elizabeth to have the big yard, and from 114 noblewomen of the young queen only three were Germans. At last, Bona began to try to obtain divorce of the son with Elizabeth. So life of the young queen in anybody in the yard did not cause envy. In three years after a wedding the unloved daughter-in-law died. Buried the Polish queen and the Lithuanian princess in a vilensky church of Saint Kazimir near the grand duke and the king Alexander. Zhigimont Augustus became free for new marriage.

But soon after this solemn event the young queen and the grand duchess Lithuanian began to burn down as a candle and all efforts of doctors were vain to return it to life. The king suspected mother of participation in poisoning of his wife. At court there was a lot of doctors and druggists of the old queen. The highest nobility of Poland and Lithuania was also convinced of it also. The rumor openly hinted at its relationship with the most famous European poisoners – Medici and Borgia. Though there is a version that actually Barbara Radzivill died absolutely for other reason. As we know, this lady was married already once, but she had no child. And the real queen should not be childless. If so it happens, then it two ways – either to the monastery, or in a grave (as with the husband of the relation will develop). Barbara perfectly understood it and took great pain to solve a problem with the help of sorcerers. Resorting to their services, the desperate woman allowed to be influenced by the most improbable drugs. There are also data on symptoms of her disease which she long tried to hide from the young king. But at the end of pain became intolerable. Most likely, Barbara had a cancer.

Her death became the real blow for Zhigimont Augustus. In despair he blames for all own mother, allegedly that ordered to poison the daughter-in-law. So nobody received proofs of poisoning, but between mother and the son long-term "cold war" began.

Poisonous boomerang?
The offended queen was forced to leave the country in which rules of 38 years. Returned home the exile. Though the official occasion sounded quite decently: the queen-mother needs change of climate and resort treatment for gout.

But the son did not wish that huge land possession of the queen-mother, locks, the cities and places departured from his hands. He considered her as the culprit of death of the first and second wives and openly hated. Only protection of the English queen Maria Tudor (who is made related with Bona) and the daughter Isabella who was the queen of Hungary withdrew a ban on departure.

Bon Sforts left Warsaw in February, 1556. The royal wagon train was accompanied by the Hungarian hussars chained in armor. They protected not only Bona's life, but also the 24th supplies with silver, gold and jewelry. Carts, loaded the furniture, carpets, porcelain and utensils which are taken away from locks which once she owned in this wagon train it was impossible to count. During board the queen Bona saved up a huge fortune. Having returned home, she borrowed to the Spanish king Philip II from the monarchical house Gabsburgov more than 400 thousand ducats (one such coin contained nearly 3,5 g of gold of the 986th test).

It became a fatal flaw of the woman who was so well understanding intrigues. Without wishing to repay a debt, Philip ordered to poison her. The sentence was carried out by the personal doctor of Bona Yan Antonio bribed by the Spanish king. Bona at 63-year age all alone died. The body of the old queen was put at first in a castle chapel where it nearly burned down when the coffin was captured by a flame of candles. Buried her very modestly.

Instead of an epilog
Activity of the queen Bona – one more example of the fact that the person who is at top of the power and wealth seldom differs in noble customs and is an example of the highest humanity. A product of the era, she dreamed as it is possible to equip more comfortably own life, to bring habitual order by methods available to it. Not for nothing she was called "the crowned snake" still during lifetime.

Both on a behavior manner, and on a plot of political career, history knows the similar characters similar to Bona much. Queen Egyptian Cleopatra, Russian empress Catherine II, Chinese ruler Qi Xi … From the point of view of the highest matters, Bona was not the Saint even if to take away from her all charges of murder of daughters-in-law. But only in centuries it is possible to estimate its motives and acts more or less objectively.

Boris Pavlovsky



• "Snake" on a throne
• Series Queen Bona
• To return back