Barbara Zápolya
| Barbara Zápolya | |
|---|---|
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Queen of Poland Grand Duchess of Lithuania |
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| Tenure | 8 February 1512 – 2 October 1515 |
| Coronation | 8 February 1512 Wawel Cathedral |
| Born | 1495 Trenčín (most likely) |
| Died | October 2, 1515 (aged 19–20) Kraków |
| Burial | 18 October 1515 Wawel Cathedral |
| Spouse | Sigismund I of Poland |
| Issue |
Hedwig, Electress of Bradenburg Anna of Poland (died age 5) |
| House | House of Zápolya |
| Father | Stephen Zápolya |
| Mother | Hedwig of Cieszyn |
Barbara Zápolya (1495–1515) was Queen of Poland and Grand Duchess of Lithuania as the first wife of King Sigismund I the Old. Marriage to Barbara represented an alliance between Sigismund and the House of Zápolya against the Habsburgs in succession disputes over the throne to the Kingdom of Hungary. The alliance was short-lived as the renewed Muscovite–Lithuanian War forced Sigismund to look for Habsburg allies. The marriage was loving, but short. Barbara was the mother of Hedwig, Electress of Bradenburg, but died soon after the birth of her second daughter Anna.
She was the daughter of Stephen Zápolya, Palatine of Hungary and Count of Szepes, and the Polish princess Hedwig of Cieszyn of the Piast dynasty. Barbara was a younger sister of John Zápolya, the future King of Hungary. The family was known for their wealth – Stephen had more than 70 castles in Hungary and Slovakia. Her father died in 1499, leaving the family in care of Hedwig's cousin, Casimir II, Duke of Cieszyn. Barbara probably spent her childhood in the Trenčín Castle and the court of Anne of Foix-Candale, Queen of Bohemia and Hungary.
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Wikipedia