Christina Rokiczana
Encyclopedia
Christina Rokiczanka was the wife of Casimir III the Great, of Poland
. She became the King's third wife and married into the House of Piast.
. Christina was the widow of Mikuláš (Nicholas) Rokiczan, a merchant from Prague
. When her husband died, Christina inherited a large fortune. Christina became a lady-in-waiting at the court of Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor
.
In May 1356 Casimir III came to Prague
, where he met Christina and they possibly became engaged. The marriage was concluded shortly afterwards in Krakow
. The marriage is believed not to have lasted long; Jan Dlugosz reported that Christina was dismissed from the king shortly after the marriage after the discovery of concealed defects, Christina was suffering from hair loss and scabies
, it is possible, however, that the relationship lasted a bit longer, an investigation found that Christina was still alive in 1365 and was living in Poland. Casimir married for a fourth and final time to Hedwig of Sagan
in 1365. This marriage was considered bigamous, with Adelaide still alive and Christina possibly still alive. Casimir and Hedwig had four daughters, they were all considered illegitimate until Casimir had them legitimised. Casimir and Christina had no children.
The marriage between Casimir and Christina was particularly beneficial for the House of Anjou
; children that could have come from the marriage of Casimir and Christina would be considered illegitimate and even if they were legitimised, their legitimacy would still be in question due to Christina's low station. Without sons, Casimir had to give the throne to his sister, Elisabeth of Poland
and her son, Louis I of Hungary.
It is unknown when Christina died.
. The book is about the history of marriage. Christina portrayed as wealthy due to her inheritance from her first husband, well educated, her first husband was a much older man, and her appearance was characterized as the following: snow white complexion, brown hair and eyes, facial features that are strangely beautiful and dignified, she rarely smiled, and when forced to speak through her coral lips, her eyes rarely said anything about her internal emotions.
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
. She became the King's third wife and married into the House of Piast.
Life
Christina is mentioned in several historical sources, including in Spominkach of Ciołkach (from the beginning of the 15th century), she is also mentioned in documents regarding the annulment of Casimir's loveless marriage to Adelaide of HesseAdelaide of Hesse
Adelaide of Hesse was a daughter of Henry II, Landgrave of Hesse, and his wife Elisabeth of Thuringia. Adelaide was a member of the House of Hesse.-Unhappy marriage:...
. Christina was the widow of Mikuláš (Nicholas) Rokiczan, a merchant from Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
. When her husband died, Christina inherited a large fortune. Christina became a lady-in-waiting at the court of Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor
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....
.
In May 1356 Casimir III came to Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
, where he met Christina and they possibly became engaged. The marriage was concluded shortly afterwards in Krakow
Kraków
Kraków also Krakow, or Cracow , is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in the Lesser Poland region, the city dates back to the 7th century. Kraków has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life...
. The marriage is believed not to have lasted long; Jan Dlugosz reported that Christina was dismissed from the king shortly after the marriage after the discovery of concealed defects, Christina was suffering from hair loss and scabies
Scabies
Scabies , known colloquially as the seven-year itch, is a contagious skin infection that occurs among humans and other animals. It is caused by a tiny and usually not directly visible parasite, the mite Sarcoptes scabiei, which burrows under the host's skin, causing intense allergic itching...
, it is possible, however, that the relationship lasted a bit longer, an investigation found that Christina was still alive in 1365 and was living in Poland. Casimir married for a fourth and final time to Hedwig of Sagan
Hedwig of Sagan
Hedwig of Sagan was a daughter of Henry V of Iron and his wife Anna, daughter of Duke Wenceslaus of Płock. She is also known as Jadwiga. She was the fourth wife of Casimir III the Great and wife of Rupert I of Legnica...
in 1365. This marriage was considered bigamous, with Adelaide still alive and Christina possibly still alive. Casimir and Hedwig had four daughters, they were all considered illegitimate until Casimir had them legitimised. Casimir and Christina had no children.
The marriage between Casimir and Christina was particularly beneficial for the House of Anjou
Capetian House of Anjou
The Capetian House of Anjou, also known as the House of Anjou-Sicily and House of Anjou-Naples, was a royal house and cadet branch of the direct House of Capet. Founded by Charles I of Sicily, a son of Louis VIII of France, the Capetian king first ruled the Kingdom of Sicily during the 13th century...
; children that could have come from the marriage of Casimir and Christina would be considered illegitimate and even if they were legitimised, their legitimacy would still be in question due to Christina's low station. Without sons, Casimir had to give the throne to his sister, Elisabeth of Poland
Elisabeth of Poland
Elisabeth of Poland was Queen consort of Hungary and regent of Poland. She is also known as Elisabeth of Kujavia and Elisabeth Piast.-Early life:...
and her son, Louis I of Hungary.
It is unknown when Christina died.
Christina in literature
Christina plays a major role in the novel King of the peasants (1884), by Józef Ignacy KraszewskiJózef Ignacy Kraszewski
Józef Ignacy Kraszewski was a Polish writer, historian and journalist who produced more than 200 novels and 150 novellas, short stories, and art reviews He is best known for his epic series on the history of Poland, comprising twenty-nine novels in seventy-nine parts.As a novelist writing about...
. The book is about the history of marriage. Christina portrayed as wealthy due to her inheritance from her first husband, well educated, her first husband was a much older man, and her appearance was characterized as the following: snow white complexion, brown hair and eyes, facial features that are strangely beautiful and dignified, she rarely smiled, and when forced to speak through her coral lips, her eyes rarely said anything about her internal emotions.