Władysław of Cieszyn (d. 1355)

Władysław of Cieszyn (Polish: Władysław cieszyński) (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.

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 Luxembourg, 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.

...
Wikipedia