Michał Piekarski
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Michał Piekarski | |
|---|---|
| Born | Unknown; before 1597 |
| Died | 27 November 1620[1] Warsaw, Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth |
| Criminal charge | Attempted regicide |
| Penalty | Tortured and dismembered |
Michał Piekarski (Polish pronunciation: [mixaw piɛkarski]; before 1597 – 27 November 1620), also known as Michael Piekarski, was a Polish petty nobleman and landowner, who attempted to assassinate King Sigismund III in 1620.[1]
Michał Piekarski, the son of Stanisław, as a child was involved in an accident during which he severely injured his head and began to suffer mentally.[2] He was often described as an impetuous melancholic and an eccentric man. As the illness systematically progressed, Piekarski was temporarily isolated and forbidden from rightfully managing his estates at Binkowice in southeastern Poland where he was most likely born.[3]
In May 1610, when king Henry IV of France was successfully assassinated by François Ravaillac, Piekarski, then still a young man, decided to kill Sigismund III of Poland. He eagerly waited and prepared for almost 10 years before attempting it. He was also drawn towards assassinating the monarch by the failed Zebrzydowski Rebellion, which was organised by the nobility against Sigismund.[4]
Throughout his life Piekarski remained a pious Calvinist. All Protestants and Calvin followers became targeted by Sigismund and the Catholic Church during the Counter-Reformation in Poland.[4] Rumours circulated that it was the Radziwiłł magnate family who played a pivotal role in attempting to murder the king due to religious persecution and their fervent support for Protestantism.[4] These claims, however, were never verified.
