Maria (wife of Bolesław IV the Curly)

Maria (b. ca. 1140 – d. after 1173), was by marriage High Duchess of Poland.

By the majority of historians and web sources, her parentage is unknown;^[1][2][3] however, others authors believed that she was a daughter of Rostislav I Mstislavich, Grand Prince of Kiev.^[4]

Life

Is unknown when exactly took place the marriage between High Duke Bolesław IV of Poland and Maria; the death of Bolesław IV's first wife, Princess Viacheslava of Novgorod took place around the 1160s, and is assumed that Bolesław IV took his second wife soon after, between 1160–1165.

About Maria's life nothing is known; she is only named in a charter dated on 31 December 1167, under which the Chapter of Kraków was granted with two villages.

Earlier literature assumed that she was the mother of Leszek; however, after the discovery of coins upon which Leszek called himself son of Anastasia (the Latin or Greek equivalent of High Duchess Viacheslava), this theory proved to be inaccurate.^[5]

There is no known date of death or burial place of Maria. Some sources assumed that she survived her husband (who died in 1173) and probably she was buried in the Płock Cathedral.^[4]

References

1. ^ POLAND
2. ^ Complete Genealogy of the House of Piast
3. ^ Chronological dates in Stoyan
4. ^ ^{a b} Poczet Królowych i żon władców Polski, Warsaw 2006.
5. ^ Borys Paszkiewicz, O matce Lestka Bolesławica i początkach mennictwa mazowieckiego, Przegląd Historyczny, vol. 92 (2001), pp. 1-14.

Maria (wife of Bolesław IV the Curly) House of Rurik? Born: ca. 1140 Died: after 1173
Royal titles
Preceded by Viacheslava of Novgorod	High Duchess consort of Poland 1162?–1173	Succeeded by Eudoxia of Kiev