Sigismond of Austria
Sigismond of Austria (born the October 26th 1427 with Innsbruck - deceased the March 4th 1496) (known as " Sigismond Riche") is a Archiduc Habsbourg of Austria. It was Régent the Tyrol of 1446 with 1490.
His/her parents are Frederic IV and Anna de Braunschweig. It is of this fact a nephew of Frederic III of the Holy roman Empire. In 1446, its regency on the Tyrol and the former Austria which included the Sundgau in Alsace, the Breisgau, and some possessions in Souabe, starts: it will last almost a half-century. In 1449, he marries Aliénor Stuart, girl of Jacques Ier of Scotland.
Charles the Bold one
In 1469, it sells with right to the repurchase its territories on the the Rhine and in Alsace to Charles Bold the. The sources are not clear, as for knowing if it sold them because of the debts accumulated by its luxurious lifestyle, or if it them has only guaranteed , because it wanted that they were better protected from the expansion from the Swiss confederation. In any event, he asked to repurchase them. After the refusal of Charles, it makes a pact with Louis XI, which finances it to recover them by the weapons.
In 1477, Frederic III the fact Archduke. Three years later, Aliénor dies, and in 1484, Sigismond remarie with Catherine of Saxony, then 16 years old. He did not have a child of these marriages.
Excommunication and Thurgovie
The reasons which led then the pope Pie II to be scrambled with the duke Sigismond went back to the nomination of the cardinal Nicolas de Cues as bishop of Brixen (the Tyrol). This candidate had been imposed by the Roman Curia on the chapter cathédral. As always, the conflict was envenimé with the root by the contrary claims of each capacity, the temporal one and the spiritual one, to involve itself in the businesses of the other. Moreover, the irritation of the pope against Sigismond, went until pronouncing against him the Anathème and the major Excommunication (August 8th, 1460). Confédérés benefitted from it to seize the Thurgovie the same year.
Thaler
1486, the Sigismond archduke of the Tyrol made strike a large silver coin being worth a gold guilder or gulden (guldiner) (Guldengroschen) in Hall (city close to Innsbruck in Austria). She was a great success and spread herself under the name of Thaler (To bruise). She will give the dollar.
Venice and the Tyrol
In 1487, Jakob II Fugger becomes its banker and creditor; he quarrels with Venice but in 1490 the opposition of the population of the Tyrol obliges it to yield regency to the archduke Maximilien Ier who will become emperor of the Saint Worsens.