Love stories
European love legends
We share the most famous European love legends from around the world, whose stories of passionate feelings and trials of fate often resemble the love legend of Barbara Radziwiłł and Sigismund Augustus. Each narrative invites us to get to know the people, places, and decisions that shape cultural memory and continue to move hearts to this day.
Abelard and Héloïse
The renowned medieval philosopher Peter Abelard fell madly in love with his talented student Héloïse, disregarding the strict moral norms of the time. Their passion...
The Rose of Turaida – Maija and Viktors
Maija, known as the Rose of Turaida, was an orphan found after a battle and raised in a castle, where she later met her beloved,...
The Lovers of Teruel – Diego and Isabel
Diego and Isabel loved each other, but Diego was poor, so he went to war to earn a fortune and be able to marry her....
Axel von Fersen and Marie Antoinette
Swedish Count Axel von Fersen was considered the closest person to the French Queen Marie Antoinette and likely her lover. During the Revolution, when everyone...
Struensee and Queen Caroline Matilda
King Christian VII’s physician, Johann Struensee, took advantage of the Danish monarch’s mental illness and became the de facto ruler of the country. He not...
Elvira Madigan and Sixten Sparre
Circus artist Elvira Madigan and married army officer Sixten Sparre, unable to be together in their society, decided to elope. They hoped to start a...
Francesca da Rimini and Paolo Malatesta
Francesca da Rimini was a victim of political intrigue, forced into marriage with a man she did not love. Her heart longed for his brother,...
Romeo and Juliet
In Verona, the children of two fatally feuding families, Romeo and Juliet, fell in love at first sight. Defying their parents’ hatred, they secretly married...
Edward II and Piers Gaveston
King Edward II of England maintained an extremely close and controversial relationship with his favourite, Piers Gaveston. The king’s attention and gifts to Gaveston caused...
Pedro I and Inês de Castro
Prince Pedro I of Portugal fell madly in love with Inês de Castro, but she was politically unacceptable to the royal family. In an attempt...
Casimir the Great and Esterka
Polish King Casimir the Great began a romance with Esterka, a Jewish woman of extraordinary beauty, defying the religious and social barriers of the time....
Sigismund Augustus and Barbara Radziwiłł
Grand Duke of Lithuania Sigismund Augustus secretly married the young widow Barbara Radziwiłł, risking his crown and the stability of the state. This marriage caused...
Catherine Jagiellon and John III Vasa
Catherine Jagiellon and John III Vasa were imprisoned in Gripsholm Castle due to complex political intrigues and wars. Instead of breaking them, the prison walls...
Empress Sisi and Franz Joseph I
Empress Elisabeth, known as Sisi, lived in constant tension between her husband’s love and her desire for personal freedom. The strict etiquette of the Viennese...
Ludwig II of Bavaria
Bavarian King Ludwig II was a lonely dreamer who loved art and legends more than actual rule or people. He withdrew from the world and...