Druhé zajetí Václava IV. z italské perspektivy
The Second Captivity of Wenceslas IV from the Italian Perspective

Summary/Abstract: Bohemian and (deposed) Roman King Wenceslas IV fell into captivity for a second time in March 1402. His jailor this time was his brother and Hungarian King Sigismund who attempted to seize control over Bohemia. The presented study tries to shed a new light on this “unheard of” event and those that led to it, focusing on a specific aspect: the planned but never realised coronation journey to Rome by Wenceslas to Rome organised by Sigismund. Analysing a series of newly-discovered sources, the author shows that even though it seems absurd, Sigismund exerted significant diplomatic efforts to prepare this unusual journey and it seems he intended to see it through. The reason the efforts eventually failed was probably the death of the Luxembourg’s most important Italian ally, Duke Giangaleazzo Visconti of Milan in September 1402. The study includes an edition of certain associated correspondence from the archive in Mantua.

• Details
• Contents