Sigismund II Augustus was born in Kraków on 1 August 1520. He was the only son (he had sisters) of king Sigismund I the Old and his wife, Italian princess Bona Sforza. His great grandfather was Wladislaw II Jagiello, the founder of the dynasty. Sigismund II Augustus was crowned as a child on 20 February 1530 when his father was still alive (in Latin "vivente rege"). From 1544 he ruled in Lithuania. He was married three times but remained childless. He died on 7 July 1572 in Knyszyn. He was a Roman Catholic, but was known for his tolerance for Protestants.