Karol Ferdynand Vasa

From Infogalactic: the planetary knowledge core
Jump to: navigation, search

Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

His Eminence
Karol Ferdynand Vasa
Prince of Poland
Bishop of Wrocław
Bishop of Płock
Duke of Opole
220px

60px
Portrait by Daniel Schultz
Noble family Vasa
Father Sigismund III Vasa
Mother Constance of Austria
Born (1613-10-13)October 13, 1613
Warsaw, Poland
Died Script error: The function "death_date_and_age" does not exist.
Wyszków, Poland
Buried Jesuits' Church, Warsaw
Religion Roman Catholic

Prince Charles Ferdinand Vasa (Polish: Karol Ferdynand Waza; October 13, 1613 in Warsaw – May 9, 1655 in Wyszków), was a Polish nobleman, prince, priest, Bishop of Wrocław from 1625, bishop of Płock from 1640 and Duke of Opole from 1648 to 1655.

Biography

Charles Ferdinand was the fourth son of King Sigismund III Vasa and his wife Constance of Austria and the brother of John Casimir, John Albert, Alexander Charles and Anna Catherine Constance. Charles Ferdinand spent his childhood and youth in the care of his mother at the royal court in Warsaw. On March 23, 1624, he received from Pope Urban VIII dispensation, allowing him to take the dignity of being a canon in Wrocław. In this case, cardinal-protector Cosmo de Torres intervened with the pope.

On May 3, 1625, through the political efforts of Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor, he was appointed the Bishop of Wrocław. On October 22, 1625 he received papal approval for the post. On January 18, 1626, despite being a minor (13 years old) and not having a proper ordination ceremony he was officially installed as bishop.

After the death of his mother in 1631, together with his brother John Casimir he inherited the wealthy city of Żywiec in Lesser Poland. During the reign of Władysław IV, Charles Ferdinand resided mainly in Warsaw. Being a close relative of the royal court, however, he was not interested in politics and had no ambition to acquire the secular authorities. Between 1632 and 1648 he devoted his time mostly to administrative work, financial affairs and accumulation of ecclesiastical benefice. In 1640 he was appointed the Bishop of Płock. After his coming of age, Charles Ferdinand decided never to accept the ordination of priesthood and gave the control of the Archdiocese of Wrocław to other influential bishops and priests that would be in charge like Bishop John von Balthasar Liesch Hornau and Archdeacon Peter Gebauer. Similarly, with the Archdiocese of Płock, he gave control over the sect to Stanisław Starczewski and Wojciech Tolibowski

After the death of King Władysław IV Vasa in 1648, he was a candidate to the Polish throne, together with his brother John Casimir whom he supported. Later he has launched a tough policy and decisive steps to quell the civil war in Polish occupied Ruthenia and Ukraine. He received the support of two-thirds majority of senators and bishops in the Polish Sejm (Parliament). Most notably he was supported by the Ruthenian nobles led by Jeremi Wiśniowiecki, however, his policies were opposed by the Protestants, Lutherans and by the nobility of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, which feared the tightening of the Counter-Reformation. At the forefront of opposition to Charles Ferdinand Vasa stood Janusz Radziwiłł and his brother Bogusław Radziwiłł, who even threatened to break the Polish-Lithuanian union.

After losing the election, Charles Ferdinand received, from his brother and newly elected king, the Duchy of Opole and Racibórz. He then retired from public life. He settled on the estates of the bishops in Płock, in Mazovia. His main residence was a large renaissance castle in Brok. In 1651, he took care of the orphaned and deprived of estates in Ruthenia, Michael Korybut Wiśniowiecki (later King Michael I). Vasa financed his travels abroad and provided thorough education and studies in the best schools of Europe.

Charles Ferdinand Vasa died on May 9, 1655 in Wyszków. He was buried in the Jesuit Church in Warsaw.

Charles Ferdinand Vasa left a huge fortune and the majority of it was spent on various foundations of churches in the country. The rest was inherited by his brother John II Casimir. Money and estates inherited from the king's brother helped to finance the troops and the military during the Polish-Swedish War (known as the "Deluge"), and the Duchy of Silesia provided the king with shelter when he had to flee Poland in 1655.

Charles Ferdinand was a great patron of art and supporter of the Society of Jesus (he had an enormous silver altar built for the Jesuit Church in Warsaw[1]). In the 1640s, royal architect, Giovanni Battista Gisleni built for him a palace situated on the northern bastion of the Warsaw Royal Castle fortifications. It was later ransacked and destroyed by Swedes and Germans of Brandenburg in 1650s, during the Deluge.[1] He also had a large wooden palace in Wyszków.

Gallery

  • Ferdynand Waza.jpg

    Vasa in his youth

  • Karol Ferdynand.JPG

    Portrait of Bishop Charles Ferdinand Vasa, painter unknown

  • Wyszkow-Obelisk Wazow.jpg

    Monument dedicated to memory of Karol Ferdynand Waza in Wyszków, erected after his death in 1655.[2]

  • Otmuchow1 (js).jpg

    He rebuilt the Castle in Otmuchów, after devastation during the Thirty Years' War.[3]

  • Chalice of Charles Ferdinand Vasa.jpg

    Golden chalice commissioned by Charles Ferdinand

  • Poland Seat upholstery.jpg

    Bishop's banner

Ancestors

Family of Karol Ferdynand Vasa
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 16. Erik Johansson Vasa
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 8. Gustav I of Sweden
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 17. Cecilia Månsdotter
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 4. John III of Sweden
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 18. Erik Abrahamsson Leijonhufvud
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 9. Margaret Leijonhufvud
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 19. Ebba Eriksdotter Vasa
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 2. Sigismund III Vasa
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 20. Casimir IV Jagiellon
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 10. Sigismund I the Old
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 21. Elisabeth of Austria
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 5. Catherine Jagiellon
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 22. Gian Galeazzo Sforza, Duke of Milan
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 11. Bona Sforza
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 23. Isabella of Naples
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 1. Karol Ferdynand Vasa
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 24. Philip I of Castile
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 12. Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 25. Joanna of Castile
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 6. Charles II, Archduke of Austria
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 26. Vladislaus II of Bohemia and Hungary
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 13. Anna of Bohemia and Hungary
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 27. Anne of Foix-Candale
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 3. Constance of Austria
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 28. William IV, Duke of Bavaria
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 14. Albert V, Duke of Bavaria
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 29. Margravine Marie of Baden-Sponheim
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 7. Duchess Maria Anna of Bavaria
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 30. Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 15. Archduchess Anna of Austria
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 31. Anna of Bohemia and Hungary
 
 
 
 
 
 

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Lileyko Jerzy, Życie codzienne w Warszawie za Wazów, Warszawa, 1984. ISBN 83-06-01021-3[page needed]
  2. ↑ Wyszków website
  3. ↑ Otmuchów. Gotycki zamek biskupi rozbudowany w stylu renesansowym i barokowym.

External links

Karol Ferdynand Vasa
Born: 13 October 1613 in Warsaw Died: 9 May 1655 in Wyszków
Religious titles
Regnal titles
Preceded by
Karl von Innerösterreich
 Prince-Bishop of Wrocław
1625-1655
(He was represented by Administrator Johann Balthasar Liesch von Hornau, because Vasa did not reside in Breslau)		 Succeeded by
Archduke Leopold Wilhelm of Austria
Religious titles
Preceded by Bishop of Płock
1640-1655		 Succeeded by
Jan Gembicki
Retrieved from "https://infogalactic.com/w/index.php?title=Karol_Ferdynand_Vasa&oldid=3135111"