{"id":11,"date":"2019-07-29T06:21:27","date_gmt":"2019-07-29T06:21:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/demosites.io\/rokophoto\/?page_id=11"},"modified":"2026-02-24T08:11:16","modified_gmt":"2026-02-24T08:11:16","slug":"historia","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/en.palacczeczotka.pl\/index.php\/historia\/","title":{"rendered":"History"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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The History of Erasm Czeczotka<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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For forty years, he held the offices of councillor, burgrave, and Mayor of Krakow. His wealth and influence rivalled those of the great magnates. In recognition of his merits, in 1552 he was granted a noble title by the Sejm and was adopted into the coat of arms of Jan Ocieski, Grand Crown Chancellor. He maintained connections with influential figures \u2014 financiers, artists, and alchemists alike.<\/p>

Initially, he was engaged in the trade of meat, food, and alcohol. In 1564, by combining two townhouses, he built a palace at the corner of St. Anne and Wi\u015blna Streets. The design and construction were carried out by Gabriel S\u0142o\u0144ski, a renowned stonemason and student of Antonio of Fiesole, a collaborator of Bartolomeo Berrecci. The palace featured, among other things, an impressive bathhouse connected to a large hall, where an establishment intended for select guests was operated.<\/p>

Historian J\u00f3zef Muczkowski referred to him as the \u201cBloody Mayor\u201d and the \u201cLittle Borgia of Krakow.\u201d He was regarded as a man of questionable morality, reputedly prone to indulgence and particularly susceptible to the charms of women. He was said to have had dozens of lovers and to have maintained open extramarital relationships with women of various backgrounds. Nevertheless, he was twice cleared of all accusations by Kings Sigismund II Augustus and Stephen B\u00e1thory.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/article>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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1517<\/strong> \u2013 Bona Sforza is married by proxy to Sigismund the Old in Naples<\/p>

1518<\/strong> \u2013 Bona Sforza arrives in Krakow<\/p>

1520<\/strong> \u2013 Seweryn Boner becomes Burgrave of Krakow<\/p>

1527<\/strong> \u2013 Marriage of Magdalena Boner and Jerzy Radziwi\u0142\u0142<\/p>

1533<\/strong> \u2013 Jan Dantyszek arrives in Krakow from Spain<\/p>

1534<\/strong> \u2013 Seweryn Boner, whose wife was Zofia Bethman, heiress of Balice, overturns the will of his brother-in-law Jan Bethman and takes over the estate<\/p>

1538<\/strong> \u2013 Bartolomeo Berrecci is murdered<\/p>

1539<\/strong> \u2013 Erasmus Czeczotka marries Barbara Krupk\u00f3wna<\/p>

1541<\/strong> \u2013 Piotr Gamrat becomes Bishop of Krakow<\/p>

1546<\/strong> \u2013 The first circle of religious dissenters is formed, attended among others by Andrzej Frycz Modrzewski and Jakub Ucha\u0144ski \u2014 later Primate of Poland and Interrex<\/p>

1547<\/strong> \u2013 Erasmus Czeczotka is elected City Councillor and Mayor
Jan Ocieski becomes Burgrave of Krakow
Sigismund Augustus secretly marries Barbara Radziwi\u0142\u0142<\/p>

1548<\/strong> \u2013 King Sigismund the Old dies
Bona Sforza leaves Krakow forever
Bishop Jan Dantyszek dies<\/p>

1549<\/strong> \u2013 Stanis\u0142aw Myszkowski is elected Crown Standard-Bearer of Krakow
Seweryn Boner dies
King Sigismund Augustus brings Barbara Radziwi\u0142\u0142 to Krakow<\/p>

1550<\/strong> \u2013 Coronation of Barbara Radziwi\u0142\u0142
Gabriel S\u0142o\u0144ski builds a townhouse on Kanonicza Street \u2014 the Dean\u2019s House<\/p>

1551<\/strong> \u2013 In May, the Queen dies
The spirit of Barbara Radziwi\u0142\u0142 is conjured at Wawel Castle<\/p>

1552<\/strong> \u2013 Erasmus Czeczotka receives a noble title at the Piotrk\u00f3w Sejm and is adopted into the Ocieski coat of arms Jan Ocieski becomes Grand Crown Chancellor Czeczotka becomes Burgrave of Krakow, a position he holds until 1557<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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1553<\/strong> \u2013 The Great Sejm \u2014 the only one convened in Krakow during the reign of Sigismund Augustus
King Sigismund Augustus leaves Krakow
Marriage of Sigismund Augustus to Catherine of Austria<\/p>

1554<\/strong> \u2013 Synod of the Lesser Poland religious dissenters in S\u0142omniki, organised by Stanis\u0142aw Myszkowski<\/p>

1556<\/strong> \u2013 Queen Bona Sforza leaves Poland<\/p>

1557<\/strong> \u2013 Jan Padniewski becomes Secretary to Sigismund Augustus
Giovanni Papaccoda poisons Bona Sforza
Anna Jagiellon is elected King of Poland in a free election<\/p>

1559<\/strong> \u2013 Reconstruction of the Cloth Hall (Sukiennice) is completed<\/p>

1561<\/strong> \u2013 Erasmus Czeczotka purchases a townhouse on St. Anne Street<\/p>

1562<\/strong> \u2013 Filip Padniewski becomes Bishop of Krakow
Jakub Ucha\u0144ski becomes Bishop of Gniezno<\/p>

1563<\/strong> \u2013 Jan Zamoyski publishes his work on the Roman Senate, dedicates it to Stanis\u0142aw Myszkowski, and becomes Rector in Padua<\/p>

1564<\/strong> \u2013 Construction of Czeczotka Palace is completed
Gabriel S\u0142o\u0144ski becomes City Mason
Jan Ocieski, Grand Crown Chancellor, dies<\/p>

1565<\/strong> \u2013 Jan Twardowski arrives in Krakow
Czeczotka writes a will, which he later withdraws
Myszkowski becomes Voivode of Krakow
Gabriel S\u0142o\u0144ski builds the great municipal armoury near St. Florian\u2019s Gate<\/p>

1567<\/strong> \u2013 Franciszek Wolski is sentenced to death
S\u0142o\u0144ski begins construction of the Bishops\u2019 House on Wi\u015blna Street for Bishop Filip Padniewski<\/p>

1568<\/strong> \u2013 Visitation of Bishop Filip Padniewski
Decree of Sigismund Augustus ordering the Academy to respect the law and prohibiting the carrying of weapons
S\u0142o\u0144ski completes the Bishop\u2019s Palace on Franciszka\u0144ska Street<\/p>

1569<\/strong> \u2013 The Royal Post comes under the administration of the Montelupi family
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1570<\/strong> \u2013 Stanis\u0142aw Myszkowski dies
Micha\u0142 of Urz\u0119d\u00f3w is admitted to the guild<\/p>

1572<\/strong> \u2013 In July, King Sigismund Augustus dies
Filip Padniewski is buried in Wawel Cathedral<\/p>

1573<\/strong> \u2013 Probable date of death of Jan Twardowski
Gabriel S\u0142o\u0144ski becomes City Councillor<\/p>

1574<\/strong> \u2013 Coronation of Henry of Valois by Bishop Jakub Ucha\u0144ski
The City Council swears allegiance to the new king
Ceremonial funeral of Sigismund Augustus at Wawel<\/p>

1575<\/strong> \u2013 Erasmus Czeczotka is elected Mayor and, during the interregnum, strengthens the defences of Krakow<\/p>

1577<\/strong> \u2013 Jan Zamoyski marries the niece of Barbara Radziwi\u0142\u0142
Ingres of Bishop Piotr Myszkowski<\/p>

1578<\/strong> \u2013 Stephen B\u00e1thory clears Erasmus Czeczotka of all accusations
Fausto Sozzini stays in Krakow<\/p>

1580<\/strong> \u2013 Jan Zamoyski becomes Starost of Krakow and founds Zamo\u015b\u0107<\/p>

1583<\/strong> \u2013 Marriage of Jan Zamoyski to Gryzelda, sister of Stephen B\u00e1thory, at Wawel<\/p>

1585<\/strong> \u2013 Stephen B\u00e1thory orders that 52 florins be returned to Czeczotka and that 100 thalers received from the City Council be surrendered
The King forbids granting gifts from the municipal treasury<\/p>

1586<\/strong> \u2013 Czeczotka is elected Mayor again
Stephen B\u00e1thory dies<\/p>

1587<\/strong> \u2013 In April, Erasmus Czeczotka dies<\/p>

1588<\/strong> \u2013 A family inheritance settlement is concluded within the Czeczotka family
Andrzej T\u0119czy\u0144ski, Voivode of Krakow, and his wife Zofia die suddenly<\/p>

1589<\/strong> \u2013 Czeczotka\u2019s nephews receive noble titles<\/p>

1592<\/strong> \u2013 Jadwiga T\u0119czy\u0144ska, daughter of Andrzej T\u0119czy\u0144ski and wife of Stanis\u0142aw Myszkowski, dies<\/p>

1608<\/strong> \u2013 Czeczotka Palace is purchased by Stanis\u0142aw Branicki<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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The history of Czeczotka Palace dates back to the 16th century. At that time, Erasmus Czeczotka, a City Councillor, decided to combine two corner buildings at the intersection of Wi\u015blna and St. Anne Streets. He entrusted this task to Gabriel S\u0142o\u0144ski (S\u0142oninka), a student of Antonio of Fiesole. Thus, in 1564, an impressive single-storey palace was created. Czeczotka Palace, of which the fa\u00e7ade of the rear wing survives to this day, became the property of many distinguished figures. In the 16th century, it changed hands frequently \u2014 but among owners of remarkable prominence:<\/p>

1607<\/strong> \u2013 Stanis\u0142aw Branicki, Crown Sword-Bearer
1620<\/strong> \u2013 Jan Klemens Branicki, Deputy Chancellor
1630<\/strong> \u2013 Princess Teofilia Ostrogska
1636<\/strong> \u2013 Piotr Szyszkowski, Castellan of Wojnicz
1653<\/strong> \u2013 Micha\u0142 Stanis\u0142awski, Voivode of Lviv
1671<\/strong> \u2013 Jan Ole\u015bnicki, Chamberlain of Sandomierz
1681<\/strong> \u2013 Andrzej Bronicki, Standard-Bearer of Krakow
1683<\/strong> \u2013 Teresa Myszkowska, wife of Margrave Stanis\u0142aw Kazimierz
1686<\/strong> \u2013 Jan D\u0119bi\u0144ski of D\u0119bno
1688<\/strong> \u2013 Krzysztof Straszewski<\/p>

In the following years, the palace belonged to Franciszek W\u0119\u017cyk and to the noble families of Wodzicki, \u0141ubie\u0144ski, and Mycielski. Over the centuries, the building changed owners and functions many times. Between 1897 and 1899, Ignacy Rayal rebuilt it into a department store. On the first floor, the caf\u00e9 \u201cSecesja\u201d was established \u2014 the first caf\u00e9 in Krakow open to women and even entire families. It soon became a well-known meeting place for socialist circles.<\/p>

In 1932, the building was redesigned by Adolf Szyszko-Bohusz, who gave it the form it retains to this day. These changes were made to accommodate the Vienna-based Feniks Insurance Company. After its collapse in 1935, the building was taken over by the Postal Savings Bank.<\/p>

Between 1949 and 1990, the building was used by the State Department Store and Domy Towarowe Centrum, and later by the retail company Galeria Centrum. In 2024, Czeczotka Palace became the property of Park Residence Sp. z o.o.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Procul Este Profani<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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When he met her, he was not yet twenty.<\/strong>\u00a0He was defiant, yet extraordinarily charming; full of pride, but also capable of humility toward his enemies. Confident,\u00a0without arrogance<\/em>. He carried out his plans with precision. He disliked anyone gaining access to his secrets. He shared only what was unnecessary or easy to obtain.<\/p>

He had a\u00a0weakness for money and ars amandi<\/em>. Possessing both, he reached for power over minds and purses alike. Knowing the greatest weaknesses of the mighty and the great, he strengthened those who then\u2014and still today\u2014remain hidden. Erazm Czeczotka won the friendship of few. Obedience\u2014from almost everyone<\/em>. He moved with ease through the worlds of contemporary learning, finance and mystery.<\/p>

In Poland, the\u00a0Jagiellonian dynasty<\/strong>\u00a0ruled. Over centuries, through diplomacy, dynastic alliances and international treaties, the Jagiellonians built the Polish\u2013Lithuanian Commonwealth, in which\u00a0the Crown, Lithuania, Bohemia and Hungary<\/em>\u00a0held the most important positions. Their power stretched from the Baltic Sea to the Black Sea and the Adriatic. The Commonwealth bordered Italy. From there came to Krak\u00f3w the woman who would change Erazm\u2019s life.\u00a0For her, and because of her, he carried out his plan.<\/em><\/p>

When she left Krak\u00f3w,\u00a0she left him her testament<\/strong>. Not one concerning wealth,\u00a0but the tools to acquire it<\/em>. She knew he would keep his word. And so he did. Much separated them\u2014right up to the very end. He came from an almost unknown family; she was a princess of Bari and Rossano, heir to claims to the Kingdom of Jerusalem. He, born out of wedlock, most likely fathered dozens of children, of whom only two were recognised as heirs. She bore six children,\u00a0two of whom ascended the throne of Poland<\/em>.\u00a0She died in agony, poisoned by a trusted servant; he died in his bath, drinking wine and entertaining girls.<\/em><\/p>

He passed into history as the\u00a0Bloody Mayor<\/strong>. She\u2014as a poisoner, bound by blood and marriage to popes and the Borgias.<\/p>

Everything began on the day he first crossed the walls of Wawel. He had been sent to deliver silks and fine fabrics for the gowns of the ladies of the court. While the women examined the lace, the queen herself entered the chamber. She was interested not only in what her ladies would wear, but also in the supplier of the fabrics\u2014a man fluent in Latin<\/em>. They spoke of fashion and Italian style. Erazm was invited to a meeting at which he was to receive guidance on which textiles should be brought to the queen\u2019s court.<\/p>

At that moment,\u00a0he could not have known<\/strong>\u00a0that he would be admitted to the secret gatherings of the\u00a0\u201cBrotherhood of Merry Sisters and Brothers\u201d<\/em>, nor that from then on he would come to know the greatest figures of politics and science. He gained access to the greatest secrets because he uniquely bridged\u00a0two worlds<\/em>: those who stood upon the pedestal, and those who placed them there.<\/p>

Erazm possessed yet another advantage\u2014excellent contacts with astrologers and alchemists<\/em>, whom he supplied with all the substances they required. The liberal arts taught at the Krak\u00f3w Academy attracted all those seeking formulas both for saving life and for taking it away. The finest alchemists were trained here\u2014men later employed at European courts, also for the purpose of\u00a0closing their enemies\u2019 eyes forever<\/em>.<\/p>

For Czeczotka,\u00a0reaching for offices, titles and honours was only a matter of time<\/strong>. For forty years he served as councillor, juror, repeatedly as mayor and burgrave. Many regarded him as an exceptional man; even more considered him dangerous and untouchable. And so it was. Every attempt to discredit Czeczotka ended in failure. Erazm held the greatest shield of all\u2014a secret for which he was willing to sell even himself<\/em>. He rarely had to.\u00a0He always received support from those who were initiated.<\/em><\/p>

Much changed when\u00a0Jan Dantyszek<\/strong>\u00a0arrived in Krak\u00f3w\u2014a poet, friend and later superior of Nicolaus Copernicus, and the first Polish ambassador to gain favour at Europe\u2019s great courts, especially in Spain. Dantyszek oversaw the negotiations for the marriage of King Sigismund the Old and was instrumental in arranging his union with Bona Sforza. He arrived in Krak\u00f3w in 1533.<\/p>

One evening, he took part in one of the many poetic and musical gatherings organised at Bona\u2019s request in place of lavish noble feasts. Erazm was present and listened to Dantyszek\u2019s recitations. Later, he heard many other truths\u2014foremost among them\u00a0that a secret must remain a secret<\/em>. Less than a year later, Jan Dantyszek received holy orders and became bishop. It was the queen herself who ensured this, having obtained from Pope Leo X the right to decide appointments to fifteen of the most important ecclesiastical benefices in Poland.<\/p>

Erazm had two brothers who served as jurors; he himself assisted his father. Year after year, the number of stalls in the Cloth Hall owned by the Czeczotka family increased. So too did the number of secret gatherings\u2014whose organisation Erazm mastered to perfection<\/em>. In 1539 he married Barbara Krupk\u00f3wna, a childless widow of Miko\u0142aj Jaskier, author of a codification of municipal law. Barbara, owner among others of the castle in Korzkiew, brought a substantial dowry\u2014but this was not why Erazm chose her. Through this marriage, Czeczotka entered into relations with the Italian Montelupi family, which decades later would manage the royal postal service.<\/p>

Contacts with Italy were crucial\u2014not only because of the queen\u2019s origins. Many artists, especially sculptors and stonemasons, settled in Krak\u00f3w, carrying out royal commissions for the most important buildings. They had been brought by Sigismund the Old; Bona expanded their ranks, inviting builders worthy of a kingdom\u2019s power. After the death of Piotr Gamrat\u2014Bishop of Krak\u00f3w, Primate of Poland and friend of the queen\u2014Bona commissioned Jan Maria Padovano to create his tomb at Wawel Cathedral. Gabriel S\u0142o\u0144ski, Padovano\u2019s pupil, would become Czeczotka\u2019s close associate.<\/p>

Two years after Gamrat\u2019s death, and one year after a meeting organised by Stanis\u0142aw Myszkowski between Andrzej Frycz Modrzewski and the future Primate Jakub Ucha\u0144ski, another participant received the title of city councillor.\u00a0Erazm Czeczotka<\/strong>\u00a0had to set aside his business affairs in favour of public office. Yet his fortunes only grew. He owned several villages, leased others, including manorial estates, and possessed multiple townhouses. In 1547 he was elected Mayor of Krak\u00f3w.<\/p>

The following year was decisive. King Sigismund the Old died. So did Primate Jan Dantyszek. Bona decided to leave Krak\u00f3w forever\u2014to forget a city where she had experienced both triumph and bitterness. Distance now separated them;\u00a0a secret still bound them<\/em>. Thus ended the most important chapter of Erazm\u2019s life.<\/p>

Soon another queen appeared at Wawel\u2014Barbara Radziwi\u0142\u0142, secretly married to Sigismund Augustus without the consent of the estates. The king, madly in love, enjoyed her presence only briefly. The queen fell ill. Renowned physicians competed with remedies and potions. Erazm remained a silent adviser\u2014he knew how many alchemists purchased their preparations from him. Barbara died on 8 May 1551, leaving the king in devastating grief. To soothe it, her spirit was summoned. The task was carried out by\u00a0Jan Twardowski<\/strong>, resident of the house opposite the Czeczotka Palace, a student of Faust himself. He was one of many alchemists well known to Czeczotka\u2014but it was he whom Erazm indicated as capable of easing the king\u2019s sorrow. The king\u2019s gratitude soon followed.<\/p>

At the Piotrk\u00f3w Seym in 1552,\u00a0Czeczotka was ennobled<\/strong>\u00a0and admitted to the coat of arms of Jan Ocieski, trusted confidant of Queen Bona. From then on he used the name\u00a0Czeczotka-T\u0142oki\u0144ski of the Jastrz\u0119biec arms<\/em>. Ocieski became Grand Chancellor of the Crown, relinquishing the office of Burgrave of Krak\u00f3w. Erazm assumed that position for the next five years, quickly becoming one of Krak\u00f3w\u2019s most eminent figures. With three hundred foot soldiers, he was stationed at Wawel, safeguarding order\u2014first among courtiers, then among townspeople.<\/p>

Krak\u00f3w was far from a peaceful city. Thus Czeczotka added hundreds of lesser secrets to his greatest one\u2014especially when, only a year after his ennoblement, he was responsible for security during the Great Seym, the only one convened in Krak\u00f3w under Sigismund Augustus.<\/p>

The capital of the Crown was a vast crucible: nobles and paupers, the righteous and criminals, scholars and illiterates, virtuous maidens and street girls. Cultures and religions intermingled. Bona was far away in the north of the country. Erazm saw her only a few times after she left Krak\u00f3w\u2014the last when she received permission to depart Poland for Bari. They parted on the road to Venice, her final stop, where she dismissed her entire Polish retinue. The most powerful and wealthiest woman in Europe accepted from Erazm a golden medal bearing his likeness and the inscription\u00a0\u201cProcul Este Profani\u201d<\/em>\u2014\u201cBegone, the uninitiated.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0Those around her left only after delivering the final dose of poison\u2014and looting everything she owned.<\/p>

Erazm plunged into work. After Bona\u2019s departure, the reconstruction of the Cloth Hall began. The arcaded loggias were designed by Padovano; the grotesque mascarons by Santi Gucci. Their exaggerated, mannerist faces were modelled on city councillors\u2014among them the head of Mayor Czeczotka himself<\/em>. Later he was accused of building new stalls for his own benefit. In truth, he was no longer merely a cloth merchant, but an entrepreneur trading food and luxury goods imported from across the realm and abroad.<\/p>

He was wealthy\u2014a fact that robbed many rivals of sleep<\/em>, especially those who, like him, had a weakness for women. Any woman who caught his eye had to be his. In female arms he sought pleasure and oblivion\u2014after the one woman he could never touch again.<\/p>

Sukiennice, the Town Hall and Wawel. Within this triangle Erazm\u2019s life unfolded. He inherited diligence and a family house on Wi\u015blna Street from his father. He purchased the neighbouring property on St. Anny Street and became the first in Krak\u00f3w to unite two townhouses. He entrusted the task to\u00a0Gabriel S\u0142o\u0144ski<\/strong>, elder of the stonemasons\u2019 and masons\u2019 guild. Thus, in 1564, a magnificent palace arose, with sculpted portals and attics. Its creator was appointed City Mason and, a year later, built the great municipal armoury by the Florian Gate.<\/p>

Erazm recognised S\u0142o\u0144ski\u2019s great potential. He knew the man could keep secrets\u2014and entrusted him with many<\/em>. Gabriel rose from obscurity to become a renowned architect and stonemason. Years later, at the request of Bishop Filip Padniewski, he would build one of the most important edifices of the era\u2014the Bishops\u2019 Palace.<\/p>

When Stanis\u0142aw Myszkowski became Voivode of Krak\u00f3w, Erazm wrote his will. He knew death could come at any moment. Not because he relentlessly pursued his plan, nor because he harshly punished those who threatened it. Not even because of his weakness for women. Though his wealth rivalled that of magnates, it troubled him less than\u00a0the manner of Bona\u2019s death<\/em>. He knew he might share her fate.<\/p>

Alchemists had grown too confident\u2014like many students of the Krak\u00f3w Academy. The city seethed with brawls and conspiracies.\u00a0Franciszek Wolski<\/strong>, master of the liberal arts and rector of the Holy Spirit school, was a brawler and criminal. A frequent guest at the Czeczotka Palace, he overstepped the boundary. Not by courting one of Erazm\u2019s favourites\u2014but by breaking a sworn word. That meant he could betray a fragment of the secret.<\/p>

When Wolski vandalised the Town Hall at night, the mayor imposed the penalty for insulting the authority of power\u2014death<\/em>. The sentence was carried out in the Market Square amid an enraged crowd. Many considered the punishment too severe\u2014but not those who had touched the secret. Each time accusations were raised against Czeczotka, he received confirmation of his righteousness from those who knew his true worth.<\/p>

After the Krak\u00f3w visitation by Bishop Filip Padniewski, King Sigismund Augustus issued a decree ordering students to respect the law and banning the carrying of weapons\u2014to prevent further attacks, including on the Czeczotka Palace<\/em>.<\/p>

Less than a year later, Gabriel S\u0142o\u0144ski completed the Bishops\u2019 House and became a city councillor. From builder he became a politician and mentor to his brilliant successor,\u00a0Jan Micha\u0142owicz of Urz\u0119d\u00f3w<\/strong>\u2014the man entrusted with works requiring equal measures of talent and loyalty.<\/p>

Meanwhile, Erazm built his small empire. He acquired more townhouses, villages, estates and a mill. He leased the Great and Small Municipal Scales and owned the majority of the 342 stalls in the Cloth Hall.<\/p>

Distinguished guests crossed the threshold of his palace. For them, he had once ordered S\u0142o\u0144ski to build a bathhouse with a great hall for feasting. During banquets attended by carefully selected patricians, long debates were held over goblets of the finest wine\u2014imported by Erazm himself from the vineyards of Bari<\/em>.<\/p>

The 1570s\u2014the height of Krak\u00f3w\u2019s Golden Age\u2014were turbulent. The childless death of Sigismund Augustus closed another chapter of Erazm\u2019s life. The first interregnum followed. The nobility sought a husband for Queen Anna Jagiellon. The candidacy promoted by Jan Zamoyski prevailed\u2014Henry of Valois<\/strong>. Eight days after Sigismund\u2019s ceremonial funeral at Wawel, Bishop Jakub Ucha\u0144ski crowned the new king. The City Council swore allegiance.<\/p>

The king is dead\u2014long live the king!<\/em>\u00a0Balls, tournaments and revelry filled the city. Anna never married. Four days after hosting a grand ball, Henry fled in disguise to claim the French throne. Escaping castles under cover of night was nothing new to him.<\/p>

An interregnum in such a powerful state was dangerous. As mayor, Czeczotka strengthened fortifications, guards and armaments. The streets were restless. Attacks on dissenters erupted; even the remains of Voivode Stanis\u0142aw Myszkowski were exhumed and dragged through the streets.<\/p>

A king has fled\u2014let us find a king!<\/em>\u00a0The nobility chose Anna Jagiellon as ruler, but she needed a husband. Again Jan Zamoyski\u2019s diplomacy prevailed\u2014Stephen B\u00e1thory<\/strong>\u00a0ascended the throne. For the king and for Czeczotka, ten uneasy years followed.<\/p>

Zamoyski began building the greatest fortune in Poland. In 1577 he married Krystyna Radziwi\u0142\u0142, niece of Barbara. That same year he became Starosta of Krak\u00f3w and founded Zamo\u015b\u0107. Erazm enjoyed the trust of both Zamoyski and the king. In 1578, when a list of thirty-four dishonourable acts was drawn up against him,\u00a0Stephen B\u00e1thory cleared him of all charges<\/strong>\u00a0and ordered eternal silence from his accusers.<\/p>

It mattered little. Erazm knew the value of silence\u2014his enemies did not. He continued his plan. Even during the lavish wedding of Zamoyski and Gryzelda, niece of the king, he presented them with a medal bearing the inscription\u00a0\u201cProcul Este Profani\u201d<\/em>\u2014with the sun and moon.<\/p>

Czeczotka watched the world change. Those he had known rose to the highest offices, built fortunes, gained fame. He himself did not enjoy universal esteem. Centuries later he would be called\u00a0the Little Cesare Borgia of Krak\u00f3w<\/em>, accused of deeds he never committed.<\/p>

In his final months he lived as before\u2014working, feasting, enjoying life. His vitality seemed inexhaustible. King B\u00e1thory declined in health; even the greatest alchemists, including John Dee, could not save him. He died in December 1586.<\/p>

Erazm did not live to see the election of Sigismund III Vasa. He died in his bath, feasting and amusing himself in the company of beautiful women. He left a fortune envied by many magnates. After his death, disputes over his legacy revived accusations of greed and corruption. His line died out, as did the Montelupi, Boner and Bethman families with whom he had been closely connected.<\/p>

All because of a secret<\/em>, of which only faint traces remain\u2014the sculptures on the wall of the former service wing of the Czeczotka Palace.<\/em><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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