Jan Gustaw Rokita
Prace Historyczne, Numer 143 (3), 2016, s. 557 - 574
https://doi.org/10.4467/20844069PH.16.027.5224Medal commemorating the signing of the Eternal Peace Treaty of 1686 (Pokój Grzymułtowskiego), minted by Giovanni Battista Guglielmade (Guglelmade) in 1686. Iconographic comments
The article describes in detail four examples of pieces of art and artefacts which are a comparative material for a medal. The author of the article claims that a papal officer purposefully ordered (by a medalist) a medal engraving to properly celebrate the Treaty of Grzymułtowski, the abiding of which by both Poland and Moscow allowed Muscovy to actively participate in the Holy League, but also to symbolically express gratitude and recognition of the Polish king’s diplomacy. The medal bore a prearranged message. It should be noted that the obverse of the medal shows a likeness of Jan III Sobieski dressed in clothes reminiscent of his royal prerogatives (a “corona clausa” on his head, an ermine coat clasped on the shoulders with a horizontal brooch) and also of his readiness to fight for Christian ideas (the scale armour, the traditional equipment of a “Sarmatian”). A commemorative inscription, although not reflecting the facts faithfully, can be considered evidence of the supremacy of the king over the Vlachs, Turks and Tartars, whose territories would soon be under the rule of Sobieski. Such a decision is not surprising, considering that Innocent XI was one of the founders and biggest supporters of the Holy League and at the same time consistently sought to make Muscovy join a new military alliance against Turkey. The signing of the Treaty of Grzymułtowski should therefore also be seen as an important success of the papacy.