Editing Sigismund II Augustus (section)

==Patronage==
{{main|Polish Golden Age|Poczta Polska}}
[[File:Tapestry with the royal monogram of Žygimantas Augustas (King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania), circa 1555 (2).jpg|thumb|Tapestry with Shield-Bearing [[Satyr]]s with the royal [[monogram]] ''S.A.'' (Sigismundus Augustus), woven in Brussels in about 1555]]
Sigismund Augustus carried on with the development of several royal residencies including [[Wawel Castle|Wawel]], [[Royal Palace of Lithuania|Vilnius Castle]], [[Niepołomice Castle|Niepołomice]] and the [[Royal Castle, Warsaw|Royal Castle]] in [[Warsaw]]. In the 1560s he acquired the [[Tykocin Castle]] and rebuilt it in Renaissance style.<ref name="bialystok_mus">{{cite book | author = Museum in Białystok | title = Rocznik białostocki (The Annual of Białystok)| year = 1991| page =75 | chapter =Volume 16 | publisher =[[Polish Scientific Publishers PWN]]| url =https://books.google.com/books?id=7QpFAAAAIAAJ }}</ref> During the reign of Sigismund Augustus the structure served as a royal residence with an impressive treasury and library as well as the main arsenal of the crown.<ref name="tykocin">{{cite web|url=http://www.tykocin.hg.pl/historia/zamek.php|title=Ruiny zamku|work=Ruins of the castle|publisher=tykocin.hg.pl|access-date=12 September 2010|language=pl}}</ref>

Sigismund Augustus was a passionate collector of jewels and [[gemstones]]. According to [[nuncio]] Bernardo Bongiovanni's relation, his collection was cached in 16 chests.<ref name="cynarski_aug">{{cite book | author =Stanisław Cynarski | title =Zygmunt August (Sigismund Augustus) | year = 1988| pages =198–199 | publisher =[[Ossolineum|National Ossoliński Institute]]| isbn = 83-04-02670-8|language=pl}}</ref> Among the precious items in his possession was [[Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor|Charles V]]'s ruby of 80,000 [[Italian scudo|scudo]]s' worth, as well as the Emperor's diamond medal with [[Habsburgs]] Eagle on one side and two columns with a sign ''[[Plus ultra (motto)|Plus Ultra]]'' on the other side.<ref name="cynarski_aug" /> In 1571, after the death of his nephew [[John Sigismund Zápolya]], he inherited the ''[[Hungarian Crown]]'' used by some Hungarian monarchs. A ''[[Swedish Crown (Polish crown jewel)|Swedish Crown]]'' was also made for him.<ref name="crowns_angelfire">{{cite web  |author = Margaret Odrowaz-Sypniewska |url = https://www.angelfire.com/mi4/polcrt/Crowns.html |title = Poland's Crowns |work = [[Angelfire]] |access-date = 16 February 2009}}</ref><ref name="rozek">{{cite book | author = Michał Rożek | title = Polskie koronacje i korony (Polish coronations and crowns)| year = 1987 | page =80 | isbn = 83-03-01914-7|language=pl}}</ref> The Polish king treated those crowns as a family keepsake, and kept them in a private vault in the Tykocin Castle.<ref name="rozek" /> He had also a [[sultan]]'s sword of 16,000 [[ducat]]s' worth, 30 precious horse trappings<ref name="cynarski_aug" /> and 20 different private-use [[armour]]s.<ref name="scrolls_arm">{{cite web|author=Michał Lisiński|url=http://www.zwoje-scrolls.com/zwoje31/text08p.htm |title=Polonica w Szwecji|work=Polish mementos in Sweden|publisher=zwoje-scrolls.com |access-date=12 September 2010|language=pl}}</ref> The king's possession included a rich [[Jagiellonian tapestries|collection of tapestries]] (360 pieces), commissioned by him in [[Brussels]] in the years 1550–1560.<ref name="cynarski_aug" /><ref>{{cite book |author=Tadeusz Wojnowski|title=A Polish American's guide to Poland|year=1988|page=98|publisher=Interpress Publishers|isbn=83-223-1978-9}}</ref>

[[File:Sypniewski Feliks - Wreczenie Satyra Zygmuntowi Augustowi.jpg|thumb|left|[[Jan Kochanowski]] presents his work ''Satyr'' to Sigismund, an 1884 illustration by [[Feliks Sypniewski]]]]

The king enjoyed reading, especially short stories, poems and [[satire]]s. Under the influence of bishop [[Piotr Myszkowski (bishop)|Piotr Myszkowski]], Poland's then greatest writer and poet [[Jan Kochanowski]] joined the royal court in 1563. It is uncertain whether Sigismund and Kochanowski were friends, however, Kochanowski's correspondence clearly highlights that the two had close contact and he assisted the monarch at most important occasions, including military maneuvers in Lithuania in 1567.<ref name="auto5">{{Cite web|url=https://culture.pl/pl/tworca/jan-kochanowski|title=Jan Kochanowski &#124; Życie i twórczość &#124; Artysta|website=Culture.pl}}</ref> Kochanowski was also present during the signing of [[Lublin union|Lublin Union]] in 1569.<ref name="auto5"/>

Sigismund was fond of foreign craft-makers and employed Italian goldsmiths, jewellers and medalists, very much like his father. One of the more renowned figures brought to Poland was [[Jacopo Caraglio|Giovanni Jacopo Caraglio]].<ref name="auto7">{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bSKlV94spt4C&q=zygmunt+august+caraglio&pg=PA114|title=Giammaria Mosca Called Padovano: A Renaissance Sculptor in Italy and Poland|first=Anne Markham|last=Schulz|date=5 November 2010|publisher=Penn State Press|isbn=978-0271044514|via=Google Books}}</ref> In Italy, Caraglio was one of the first reproductive [[printmaker]]s. In Poland, Sigismund tasked him with the production of [[Cameo (carving)|cameos]], medallions, coins and jewellery.<ref name="auto7"/> Numerous medals and roundels from this period feature the last members of the [[Jagiellonian dynasty]]. When Sigismund's mother Bona died in 1557, Sigismund had to collect his inheritance from the Italian estates.<ref name="auto6">{{Cite web|url=https://niezalezna.pl/87770-458-lat-temu-zygmunt-august-stworzyl-polska-poczte|title=458 lat temu Zygmunt August stworzył polską pocztę|date=18 October 2016|website=NIEZALEZNA.PL}}</ref> On 18 October 1558, the king granted the right to arrange the first regular Polish postal service operating from Kraków to [[Venice]], thus establishing [[Poczta Polska]] (Polish Post).<ref name="auto6"/> All maintenance costs were borne by the Crown and the post was mostly managed by Italians or Germans. Additional couriers travelled between Kraków, Warsaw and Vilnius. Since 1562, the postal route also encompassed [[Vienna]] and cities in the Holy Roman Empire, which enabled continuous correspondence with the Habsburgs.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.rp.pl/Rzecz-o-historii/308179855-Jak-to-z-poczta-w-Polsce-bywalo.html|title=Jak to z pocztą w Polsce bywało|website=rp.pl}}</ref><ref name="auto6"/>

In 1573, the [[Sigismund Augustus Bridge|first permanent bridge]] over the [[Vistula]] river in [[Warsaw]] and also the longest wooden bridge in Europe at the time was named in Sigismund's honour.