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{{Short description|Lithuanian and Polish saint (1458–1484)}}
{{For|the village in Canada|Saint-Casimir, Quebec}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2025}}
{{Infobox saint
| honorific_prefix = [[Saint]]
| name             = Casimir
| image            = Šventasis Kazimieras, 1594.jpg
| imagesize        = 180px
| caption          = ''Three-Handed Saint Casimir'' (16th century) is considered to be miraculous. He is depicted wearing [[Gediminas' Cap]].
| titles           = Confessor
| birth_date       = 3 October 1458
| birth_place      = [[Wawel]], Kraków, [[Kingdom of Poland (1385–1569)|Kingdom of Poland]]
| death_date       = {{death date and age|1484|3|4|1458|10|3|df=y}}
| death_place      = [[Grodno]], [[Grand Duchy of Lithuania]]
| feast_day        = 4 March<ref>{{cite book |last1=Jestice |first1=Phyllis G. |title=Holy People of the World: A Cross-cultural Encyclopedia |date=2004 |publisher=ABC-CLIO |isbn=978-1-57607-355-1 |page=160 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=H5cQH17-HnMC |language=en}}</ref>
| venerated_in     = [[Catholic Church]]
| beatified_date   = 
| beatified_place  = 
| beatified_by     = 
| canonized_date   = 1521 or 1602
| canonized_place  = [[Rome]], [[Papal States]],
| canonized_by     = [[Pope Leo X]] or [[Pope Clement VIII]]
| major_shrine     = {{ubl|[[Chapel of Saint Casimir]], Vilnius Cathedral|[[Church of St. Casimir, Vilnius]]}}
| attributes       = Lily, grand ducal cap
| patronage        = [[Lithuania]] (1636), [[Poland]], Lithuanian youth (1948)
| issues           = 
| suppressed_date  = 
| prayer           = 
| prayer_attrib    =
}}

'''Casimir Jagiellon''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|k|æ|z|ɪ|m|ɪər}};<ref>{{Cite Collins Dictionary|Casimir}}</ref> {{langx|la|Casimirus}}; {{langx|lt|Kazimieras}}; {{langx|pl|Kazimierz}}; 3 October 1458 – 4 March 1484) was a prince of the [[Kingdom of Poland (1385–1569)|Kingdom of Poland]] and of the [[Grand Duchy of Lithuania]]. The second son of King [[Casimir IV Jagiellon]], he was tutored by [[Johannes Longinus]], a Polish [[chronicler]], diplomat, and priest. After his elder brother [[Vladislaus II of Bohemia and Hungary|Vladislaus]] was elected as [[King of Bohemia]] in 1471, Casimir became the [[heir apparent]]. At the age of 13, Casimir participated in the failed military campaign to install him as [[King of Hungary]]. He became known for his piety, devotion to God, and generosity towards the sick and poor. He became ill (most likely with [[tuberculosis]]) and died at the age of 25. He was buried in [[Vilnius Cathedral]]. His canonization was initiated by his brother King [[Sigismund I the Old]] in 1514 and the tradition holds that he was canonized in 1521. Saint Casimir the Prince is the patron saint of Poland, Lithuania and Lithuanian youth and the only saint with this name. 

Veneration of Casimir saw a resurgence in the 17th century when his feast day was confirmed by the pope in 1602 and the dedicated [[Chapel of Saint Casimir]] was completed in 1636. Casimir became a [[patron saint]] of [[Lithuania]] and Lithuanian youth. In [[Vilnius]], his feast day is marked annually with [[Kaziuko mugė]] (a trade fair) held on the Sunday nearest to 4 March, the anniversary of his death. There are more than 50 churches named after Casimir in Lithuania and Poland, including [[Church of St. Casimir, Vilnius]] and [[St. Kazimierz Church, Warsaw]], and more than 50 churches in Lithuanian and Polish diaspora communities in America. Women's congregation [[Sisters of Saint Casimir]] was established in 1908 and remains active in the United States.

==Biography==
===Early life and education===
A member of the [[Jagiellon dynasty]], Casimir was born in [[Wawel Castle]] in [[Kraków]]. Casimir was the third child and the second son of the King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania [[Casimir IV Jagiellon|Casimir IV]] and Queen [[Elisabeth of Austria (1436–1505)|Elisabeth Habsburg of Austria]]. Elisabeth was a loving mother and took active interest in her children's upbringing.{{sfn|Duczmal|2012|p=302}} The Queen and the children often accompanied the King in his annual trips to the Grand Duchy of Lithuania.{{sfn|Duczmal|2012|p=152}}

Casimir was a [[polyglot]] and knew [[Lithuanian language|Lithuanian]], [[Polish language|Polish]], [[German language|German]] and [[Latin]] languages.<ref name="VilniusCathedral">{{cite web |title=Šventojo Kazimiero gyvenimo istorija |url=https://www.katedra.lt/sv-kazimieras/istorija/ |website=[[Vilnius Cathedral]] |access-date=3 March 2023 |language=lt |quote=Jo gyvenimą tyrinėjo popiežiaus Leono X legatas vyskupas Z. Ferreri. 1521 m. jis išspausdino biografiją „Vita beati Casimiri, scripta Vilniae“ — tai vienintelis XVI a. šaltinis, kalbantis apie asketišką Kazimiero gyvenimą. Autorius akcentuoja, kad Kazimieras mokėjęs lietuvių, lenkų, vokiečių ir lotynų kalbas, turėjęs nemažai dorybių: buvo teisingas, susivaldantis, tvirtos dvasios, išmintingas.}}</ref> From the age of nine, Casimir and his brother [[Vladislaus II of Bohemia and Hungary|Vladislaus]] were educated by the Polish priest Fr. [[Jan Długosz]]. The boys were taught Latin and German, law, history, rhetoric, and classical literature.{{sfn|Duczmal|2012|p=302}} Długosz was a strict and conservative teacher who emphasized ethics, morality, and religious devotion. According to [[Stanisław Orzechowski]] (1513–1566), the princes were subject to [[corporal punishment]] which was approved by their father.{{sfn|Duczmal|2012|p=303}} Długosz noted Casimir's skills in oratory when he delivered speeches to greet his father returning to Poland in 1469 and Jakub Sienienski, the [[Bishop of Kujawy]], in 1470.{{sfn|Duczmal|2012|p=303}}

===Hungarian campaign===
{{main|Bohemian–Hungarian War (1468–78)|Black Army of Hungary}}
[[File:Cynk Długosz and Saint Casimir.jpg|thumb|left|''Długosz and Saint Casimir'' by [[Florian Cynk]] (circa 1869)]]
Prince Casimir's uncle [[Ladislaus the Posthumous]], [[King of Hungary]] and [[King of Bohemia|Bohemia]], died in 1457 at the age of 17, without leaving an heir. Casimir's father, King Casimir IV, subsequently advanced his claims to Hungary and Bohemia, but could not enforce them due to the [[Thirteen Years' War (1454–66)]]. Instead, [[Hungarian nobles]] elected [[Matthias Corvinus]] and [[Bohemian nobles]] selected [[George of Poděbrady]] as their kings. George of Poděbrady died in March 1471. In May 1471, [[Vladislaus II of Bohemia and Hungary|Vladislaus]], eldest son of Casimir IV, was elected to the throne of Bohemia. However, a group of Catholic Bohemian nobles supported Matthias Corvinus instead of Vladislaus II. In turn, a group of Hungarian nobles conspired against Matthias Corvinus and invited the Polish king to overthrow him. King Casimir IV decided to install his son, Casimir, in Hungary.<ref>Tanner, Marcus (2009). ''The Raven King: Matthias Corvinus and the Fate of his Lost Library''. Yale University Press. p. 70 {{ISBN| 978-0-300-15828-1}}</ref>

Poland amassed an army of 12,000 men, commanded by [[Piotr Dunin]] and Dziersław of Rytwiany.{{sfn|Duczmal|2012|p=304}} Both King Casimir and Prince Casimir participated in the campaign. In October 1471, the Polish army crossed the Hungarian border and slowly marched towards [[Buda]]. Matthias Corvinus managed to win over the majority of the Hungarian nobles, including the main conspirator Archbishop [[János Vitéz (archbishop)|János Vitéz]], and the Polish army did not receive the expected reinforcements. Only Deák, Perény and Rozgonyi families sent troops.{{sfn|Duczmal|2012|p=305}} Upon hearing that Corvinus' army of 16,000 men camped outside of [[Pest, Hungary|Pest]], the Polish army decided to retreat from [[Hatvan]] to [[Nitra]]. There the soldiers battled food shortages, spreading infectious diseases, and the upcoming winter. The Polish King also lacked funds to pay the mercenaries. As a result, the Polish army decreased by about a third.{{sfn|Duczmal|2012|p=305}} In December 1471, Prince Casimir, out of fear for his safety, was sent to [[Jihlava]] closer to the Polish border and that further eroded their soldiers' morale. Corvinus took Nitra and a one-year truce was completed in March 1472 in Buda.{{sfn|Duczmal|2012|p=305}} Prince Casimir returned to [[Kraków]] to resume his studies with Długosz.

Długosz remarked that Prince Casimir felt "great sorrow and shame" regarding the failure in Hungary.{{sfn|Duczmal|2012|p=306}} Polish propaganda, however, portrayed him as a savior, sent by divine providence, to protect the people from a godless tyrant (i.e. Matthias Corvinus) and marauding pagans (i.e. Muslim [[Ottoman Turks]]). Prince Casimir was also exposed to the cult of his uncle King [[Władysław III of Poland]] who died in the 1444 [[Battle of Varna]] against the Ottomans. This led some researchers, including [[Jacob Caro]], to conclude that the Hungarian campaign pushed Prince Casimir into religious life.{{sfn|Duczmal|2012|p=306}}

===Later life and death===
[[File:Wilno - kaplica Kazimierza.JPG|thumb|Casimir's silver sarcophagus at the [[Chapel of Saint Casimir]], [[Vilnius Cathedral]]]]

As his elder brother, Vladislaus II, ruled Bohemia, Prince Casimir became the heir apparent to the throne of Poland and Lithuania. Italian humanist writer [[Filippo Buonaccorsi]] (also known as Filip Callimachus) was hired to become Casimir's tutor in political matters, but his Renaissance views had less influence on Casimir than Długosz.{{sfn|Duczmal|2012|p=306}} In 1474, the Italian merchant and traveler [[Ambrogio Contarini]] met with Prince Casimir and was impressed by his wisdom. Prince Casimir completed his formal education at age 16 and spent most of his time with his father.{{sfn|Duczmal|2012|p=306}} In 1476, Prince Casimir accompanied his father to [[Royal Prussia]] where he tried to resolve the conflict with the [[Prince-Bishopric of Warmia]] {{crossreference|(see [[War of the Priests (Poland)|War of the Priests]])}}. In 1478 [[Seimas of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania]] demanded that King Casimir IV leave either Prince Casimir or Prince [[John I Albert]] in Lithuania as a regent. King Casimir IV feared separatist moods and refused, but after settling the conflict in Prussia, moved to [[Vilnius]].{{sfn|Duczmal|2012|p=307}}

Between 1479 and 1484 his father spent most of his time in Vilnius attending to the affairs of Lithuania. In 1481, [[Mikhailo Olelkovich]] and his relatives planned to murder King Casimir and Prince Casimir during a hunt at a wedding of [[Belsky family (Gediminid)|Feodor Ivanovich Belsky]].{{sfn|Duczmal|2012|p=308}} The plan was discovered and Prince Casimir, perhaps fearing for his safety, was sent to Poland to act as vice-regent. Around the same time his father tried to arrange his marriage to [[Kunigunde of Austria]], daughter of Emperor [[Frederick III, Holy Roman Emperor|Frederick III]]. It is often said that Prince Casimir refused the match, preferring to remain celibate and sensing his approaching death.{{sfn|Duczmal|2012|p=308}} According to [[Maciej Miechowita]], Prince Casimir developed [[tuberculosis]]. In May 1483, Prince Casimir joined his father in Vilnius. There, after the death of [[Andrzej Oporowski]], Bishop and [[Vice-Chancellor of the Crown]], Prince Casimir took over some of his duties in the chancellery.{{sfn|Duczmal|2012|pp=308–309}} However, his health deteriorated while rumors about his piety and good deeds spread further. In February 1484, the [[Sejm of the Kingdom of Poland|Polish sejm]] in [[Lublin]] was aborted as King Casimir IV rushed back to Lithuania to be with his ill son.{{sfn|Duczmal|2012|p=309}} Prince Casimir died on 4 March 1484, in [[Hrodna|Grodno]]. His remains were interred in [[Vilnius Cathedral]], where the dedicated [[Saint Casimir's Chapel]] was built in 1636.<ref>{{cite web| url=https://www.europeana.eu/portal/record/2063603/LIT_280_008.html |title=Mural paintings at the Chapel of Saint Casimir of Vilnius Cathedral, Michelangelo Palloni |work=Europeana 280 |publisher= europeana.eu |access-date=4 May 2016}}</ref>

==Veneration==
===Pious life and attributed miracles===
[[Image:Kazimierzm.jpg|thumb|upright|right|[[Dievdirbys|Lithuanian folk sculpture]] of Saint Casimir]]

Surviving contemporary accounts described Prince Casimir as a young man of exceptional intellect and education, humility and politeness, who strove for justice and fairness.{{sfn|Duczmal|2012|pp=309–310}} Early sources do not attest to his piety or devotion to God, but his inclination to religious life increased towards the end of his life.{{sfn|Duczmal|2012|p=310}} Later sources provide some stories of Casimir's religious life. [[Marcin Kromer]] (1512–1589) said Casimir refused his physician's advice to have sexual relations with women in hopes to cure his illness.{{sfn|Duczmal|2012|p=310}} Other accounts say Casimir contracted his lung disease after a particularly hard fast or that he could be found pre-dawn, kneeling by the church gates, waiting for a priest to open them. [[Zacharias Ferreri]] (1479–1524) wrote that Casimir composed a prayer in [[hexameter]] on Christ's [[Incarnation (Christianity)|incarnation]] but this text has not survived.{{sfn|Čiurinskas|2004|p=33}} Later, a copy of ''Omni die dic Mariae'' ("Daily, Daily Sing to Mary") was found in Casimir's coffin.{{sfn|Burns|2007|p=104}} The hymn became so strongly associated with Casimir that sometimes it is known as "Hymn of St. Casimir" and he is credited as its author.{{sfn|Burns|2007|p=104}} The lengthy hymn has an intricate [[Metre (poetry)|meter]] and rhyme scheme (alternate [[acatalectic]] and [[catalectic]] [[trochaic]] [[dimeter]] with [[internal rhyme]] in the first and third verses (aa/b, cc/b)) and was most likely written by [[Bernard of Cluny]].{{sfn|Conway|2003|p=591}}

One of the first miracles attributed to Casimir was his appearance before the Lithuanian army during the [[Siege of Polotsk]] in 1518. Casimir showed where Lithuanian troops could safely cross the [[Daugava River]] and relieve the city, besieged by the army of the [[Grand Duchy of Moscow]].{{sfn|Duczmal|2012|p=310}} Ferreri's hagiography of 1521 mentions many miracles of Casimir are known but describes only one – a Lithuanian victory against the Russians. The description lacks specifics, such as date or location, but most likely refers to the Lithuanian victory in 1519 against Russian troops that raided the environs of Vilnius, and not the more popular story of the Siege of Polotsk.{{sfn|Čiurinskas|2004|pp=14–15}}

===Canonization and official veneration===
[[File:Saint Casimir from Vita beati Casimiri.jpg|thumb|left|upright|Saint Casimir on the cover page of his first hagiography]]
Casimir's official cult started spreading soon after his death. In 1501, [[Pope Alexander VI]], citing Casimir's miracles as well as the splendor of the chapel where he was buried, granted a special [[indulgence]] to those who would pray in the chapel from one [[vespers]] to another during certain Catholic festivals, and would contribute to the upkeep of the chapel.{{sfn|Čiurinskas|2003|pp=146–147}} In 1513, [[Andrzej Krzycki]] wrote a poem mentioning numerous wax [[votive offering]]s on Casimir's grave.{{sfn|Čiurinskas|2003|pp=148–149}} In 1514, during the [[Fifth Council of the Lateran]], Casimir's brother [[Sigismund I the Old]] petitioned the pope to canonize Casimir.{{sfn|Čiurinskas|2003|p=15}} After repeated requests, in November 1517, [[Pope Leo X]] appointed a three-bishop commission and later sent his legate [[Zacharias Ferreri]] to investigate.{{sfn|Čiurinskas|2003|p=17}} He arrived at Vilnius in September 1520 and completed his work in about two months.{{sfn|Čiurinskas|2004|p=4}} His findings, the first short [[hagiography]] of Casimir, was published in 1521 in [[Kraków]] as ''Vita Beati Casimiri Confessoris''.{{sfn|Čiurinskas|2004|p=4}} The canonization was all but certain but Pope Leo X died in December 1521. Research of [[Zenonas Ivinskis]] and [[Paulius Rabikauskas]] showed that there is no documentary proof that he issued a [[papal bull]] canonizing Casimir{{sfn|Žemaitytė|2012}} but many important documents were lost during the [[Sack of Rome (1527)]].{{sfn|Paltarokas|2010|p=70}} The [[Protestant Reformation]] attacked the cult of saints and there were no new canonizations between 1523 and 1588.{{sfn|Ahlgren|1998|p=145}} However, Casimir was included in the first ''[[Roman Martyrology]],'' published in 1583.{{sfn|Čiurinskas|2003|p=18}}

The cause of Casimir's cult was taken up by the new Bishop of Vilnius [[Benedykt Woyna]] (appointed in 1600). He sent canon Gregorius Swiecicki to Rome with a letter from King [[Sigismund III Vasa]] requesting to add the feast of Casimir to the [[Roman Breviary]] and [[Roman Missal]].{{sfn|Rabikauskas|1958b}} The [[Sacred Congregation of Rites]] refused the request{{sfn|Rabikauskas|1958b}} but on 7 November 1602 [[Pope Clement VIII]] issued a [[papal brief]] ''Quae ad sanctorum'' which authorized his feast ''sub duplici ritu'' on 4 March but only in Poland and Lithuania.{{sfn|Čiurinskas|2003|p=173}} The brief also mentioned that Casimir was added to the ranks of saints by Pope Leo X.{{sfn|Čiurinskas|2003|p=173}} In the absence of any earlier known papal document explicitly mentioning Casimir as saint, the brief is often cited as Casimir's canonization.{{sfn|Žemaitytė|2012}}{{sfn|Čiurinskas|2003|p=19}} Swiecicki returned to Vilnius with the papal brief and red velvet [[labarum]] with the image of Saint Casimir.{{sfn|Rabikauskas|1958a}} The city organized a large three-day festival on 10–12 May 1604 to properly accept the papal flag. On the third day, the [[cornerstone]] was laid for the new [[Church of St. Casimir, Vilnius|Church of St. Casimir]].{{sfn|Rabikauskas|1958a}} The coffin of Casimir was taken out of the crypt and elevated to the altar. Swiecicki testified that when the coffin was opened in August 1604 a wonderful smell filled the cathedral for three days.{{sfn|Čiurinskas|2003|p=175}}

[[File:Schultz Saint Casimir.jpg|thumb|upright|Saint Casimir by [[Daniel Schultz]] (1615–1683)]]
In 1607 and 1613, Bishop Woyna declared Casimir patron saint of Lithuania (''Patronus principalis Lithuaniae'').{{sfn|Česnulis|2014|p=14}} The issue of a universal Casimir's feast was not forgotten and in 1620 Bishop [[Eustachy Wołłowicz]] petitioned [[Pope Paul V]] to add Casimir to the [[Roman Breviary]] and [[Roman Missal]]. This time the [[Sacred Congregation of Rites]] granted the request in March 1621 and added his feast ''sub ritu semiduplici''.{{sfn|Rabikauskas|1958b}} In March 1636, [[Pope Urban VIII]] allowed the celebration of the feast of Casimir with an [[Octave (liturgical)|octave]] (''duplex cum octava'') in the [[Roman Catholic Diocese of Vilnius|Diocese of Vilnius]] and the [[Grand Duchy of Lithuania]].{{sfn|Vilimas|2012|p=109}} That is equivalent of proclaiming Casimir as the [[patron saint]] of Lithuania. On 28 September 1652, [[Pope Innocent X]] allowed a fest of [[Translation (relic)|transfer of relics]] of Casimir on a Sunday following the [[Assumption of Mary]].{{sfn|Vaišnora|1958|p=39}} On 11 June 1948, when many Lithuanians were [[displaced person|displaced war refugees]], [[Pope Pius XII]] named Casimir the special patron of Lithuanian youth.{{sfn|Paltarokas|2010|p=136}}

===Iconography===
Saint Casimir's painting in [[Vilnius Cathedral]] is considered to be miraculous. The painting, probably completed around 1520, depicts the saint with two right hands. According to a legend, the painter attempted to redraw the hand in a different place and paint over the old hand, but the old hand miraculously reappeared. More conventional explanations claim that three-handed Casimir was the original intent of the painter to emphasize the exceptional generosity of Casimir ("But when you give to someone in need, don't let your left hand know what your right hand is doing." [[Matthew 6:3]]) or that the old hand bled through a coat of new paint (similar to a [[palimpsest]]). Around 1636 the painting was covered in gilded silver clothing (''[[riza]]'').
[[Image:Nemunaitis coats of arms in 1792.jpg|thumb|170px|Nemunaitis coat of arms (1792)]]
Casimir's iconography usually follows the three-handed painting. He is usually depicted as a young man in long red robe lined with [[stoat]] fur. Sometimes he wears a red cap of the Grand Duke of Lithuania, but other times, to emphasize his devotion to spiritual life, the cap is placed near Casimir. Almost always he holds a lily, a symbol of virginity, innocence, and purity.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=UZGQWr97WmIC&q=Caraunus Husenbeth, Frederick Charles. ''Emblems of Saints: By which They are Distinguished in Works of Art'', Longman, Green, Longman, and Roberts, 1860, p. 33]</ref><!---The 1603 edition of [[Roman Missal]] had a woodcarving of Casimir by [[Giacomo Lauro]]. In this work Casimir holds a cross.---> He might also hold a cross, a rosary, or a book with words from ''Omni die dic Mariae'' (Daily, Daily Sing to Mary). The towns of [[Kvėdarna]] and [[Nemunaitis]] in Lithuania have Saint Casimir depicted on their coat of arms.

===Physical remains and relics===
[[File:Śviaty Kazimier. Сьвяты Казімер (C. Dolci, XVII).jpg|thumb|left|Saint Casimir by [[Carlo Dolci]] (1616–1686) in the collection of [[Palazzo Pitti]]]]
Casimir was buried in the [[crypt]] under the Royal Chapel of [[Vilnius Cathedral]] (present-day Wołłowicz Chapel to the left from the main entrance), constructed by his father in the [[Gothic architecture|Gothic style]] in 1474. In 1604, the coffin was elevated from the crypt to the altar and in 1636 moved to the dedicated [[Chapel of Saint Casimir]].{{sfn|Šapoka|1958}} The present-day sarcophagus was made in 1747 under the last will of Bishop of Warmia [[Christopher Johan Szembek]] (1680–1740).{{sfn|Vilnius Cathedral}} It is made of linden wood and covered with silver plates; its corners are decorated with gilded eagles.{{sfn|Rėklaitis|1958}} The sarcophagus was removed from the cathedral on three occasions.{{sfn|Šapoka|1958}} In 1655, before the [[Battle of Vilnius (1655)|Battle of Vilnius]] during the [[Deluge (history)|Deluge]], the relics were removed most likely by [[Jerzy Białłozor]] and hid by [[Cyprian Paweł Brzostowski]] and later by the [[House of Sapieha|Sapiehas]] in the [[Ruzhany Palace]].{{sfn|Šapoka|1958}} They were returned to the devastated chapel in 1663. The relics were removed for a short time in 1702 during the [[Battle of Vilnius (1702)|Battle of Vilnius]] of the [[Great Northern War]].{{sfn|Šapoka|1958}} In October 1952, the relics were quietly moved to the [[Church of St. Peter and St. Paul, Vilnius|Church of St. Peter and St. Paul]] by the order of [[Lithuanian SSR|Soviet authorities]].{{sfn|Paltarokas|2010|p=129}} The cathedral was turned into an art gallery. The relics returned to their place in 1989 when the cathedral was reconsecrated.

After the rediscovery of the [[Catacombs of Rome]] in 1578, the cult of [[relic]]s spread throughout Europe {{crossreference|(see also [[catacomb saints]])}} and the trend did not skip Casimir.{{sfn|Maslauskaitė|2006|p=35}} The coffin of Casimir was opened in early 1602 and in August 1604. At the time, canon Gregorius Swiecicki testified that despite humidity the body was intact.{{sfn|Čiurinskas|2003|pp=175–176}} But in 1667 there were only bones left; they were inventoried and placed into six cloth bags.{{sfn|Maslauskaitė|2006|pp=41–42}} Surviving written records indicate that the coffin was opened in 1664, 1667, 1677, 1690,{{sfn|Rabikauskas|1960}} 1736, 1838, 1878 (twice),{{sfn|Česnulis|2014|p=14}} and 1922.{{sfn|Maslauskaitė|2006|p=35}} There are several recorded instances when Casimir's relics were gifted to prominent figures and societies: to musicians' [[confraternity]] at [[San Giorgio Maggiore, Naples]] in early 1650s,{{sfn|Ryszka-Komarnicka|2009|p=121}}{{sfn|Abos|2003|p=XVI}}{{sfn|Maslauskaitė|2006|p=38}} to King [[John III Sobieski]] and [[Cosimo III de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany]]<ref group=n name=cosimo/> in October 1677,{{sfn|Maslauskaitė|2006|p=38}} to the [[Sodality of Our Lady]] of the Jesuit academy in [[Mechelen]]{{sfn|Rabikauskas|1960}} and the [[Sovereign Military Order of Malta|Order of Malta]] in October 1690,{{sfn|Liulevičius|1984}} to Queen [[Maria Josepha of Austria]] in February 1736,{{sfn|Česnulis|2014|p=14}} to Cistercian abbot Sztárek Lajos of {{illm|Cikádor Abbey|hu|Ciszterci kolostor (Bátaszék)}} in 1860.{{sfn|Maslauskaitė|2006|p=39}}{{sfn|Békefi|1894|p=102}} Many more relics of Casimir can be found in local churches. In particular, in 1838, two teeth and ten unspecified bones were removed from the coffin; the bones were cut into small pieces and distributed among various churches.{{sfn|Maslauskaitė|2006|p=40}} In 1922, the bones were wrapped in a new cloth and the old cloth was distributed as a relic.{{sfn|Maslauskaitė|2006|pp=40–41}} It was the last time that a relic of Casimir (one tooth for the [[Church of St. Casimir, Vilnius|Church of St. Casimir]]) was taken.{{sfn|Maslauskaitė|2006|p=41}}

===Dedications===
In his 1970 monograph priest Florijonas Neviera (Florian Niewiero, 1896–1976) counted churches named after Casimir. He found 12 churches in Lithuania (as of 1940), 48 churches and 5 chapels in Poland, 23 Lithuanian and 36 Polish churches in United States (as of 1964), five churches in Canada ([[Montreal]], [[Winnipeg]], [[Toronto]], [[Portneuf, Quebec|Portneuf]], and [[Ripon, Quebec|Ripon]]), two churches in United Kingdom ([[London]] and [[Manchester]]), and two churches in Belarus ([[Vselyub]] and [[Lepiel]]).{{sfn|Česnulis|2014|p=14}} The women's congregation [[Sisters of Saint Casimir]] was established in 1908 by [[Maria Kaupas]] and is active in the United States. In 1945, the [[College of Saint Casimir]] was established in Rome to educate Lithuanian priests who fled west after World War II.{{sfn|Česnulis|2014|p=14}}

[[File:Fresco of Saint Kazimieras in the Santuario della Mentorella, painted in the 19th century.jpg|thumb|150px|Fresco of Saint Casimir in the {{ill|Santuario della Mentorella|it}}, painted in the 19th century]]
While the devotion to Casimir is most prevalent in Lithuania and Poland and their diaspora communities, his cult can be found in other countries as well. In the 17th century, at least two societies of Saint Casimir were active in [[Mechelen]] and [[Antwerp]] (now Belgium).{{sfn|Rabikauskas|1960}} In the 17th century, Casimir's cult also spread in Italy, particularly [[Florence]], [[Palermo]], [[Naples]]; his cult in Rome was more associated with Polish dignitaries and émigrés.{{sfn|Ryszka-Komarnicka|2009|p=113}} Musical performances were organized in Rome in 1675 (words by Sebastiano Lazzarini, music by Francesco Beretta, performed at [[Santo Spirito in Sassia]]) and in 1678 (words by Ottavio Santacroce, music probably by [[Giovanni Bicilli]], performed at [[Santa Maria in Vallicella]] on the occasion of the visit by [[Michał Kazimierz Radziwiłł]] and his wife [[Katarzyna Sobieska]]), and in Florence in 1706 (words possibly by Cardinal [[Pietro Ottoboni (cardinal)|Pietro Ottoboni]],{{sfn|Ryszka-Komarnicka|2009|p=124}} music by [[Alessandro Scarlatti]]).{{sfn|Ryszka-Komarnicka|2009|pp=113–114}} In Palermo, [[Pietro Novelli]] was commissioned painting ''Coronation of Saint Casimir'' (l'Incoronazione di s. Casimiro) for the altar of [[San Nicola da Tolentino, Palermo|Chiesa di San Nicola da Tolentino]] (now held at the [[Galleria Regionale della Sicilia]]).{{sfn|Mancuso|2013}}

The settlements of [[Saint-Casimir, Quebec|Saint-Casimir]] in Canada (founded 1836) and [[San Casimiro]] in Venezuela (founded 1785){{sfn|Liulevičius|1984}} are named after him. Sculptures of Casimir, among other [[List of royal saints and martyrs|canonized royals]], can be found in [[San Ferdinando, Livorno]], Italy and [[Mexico City Metropolitan Cathedral|Metropolitan Cathedral]], Mexico City. Stained glass windows with Casimir can be found at the [[Cathedral Basilica of St. Joseph (San Jose, California)|Cathedral Basilica of St. Joseph]] in [[San Jose, California]], and at the Church of St. Peter in [[Chevaigné]], France.{{cn|date=March 2021}} Since 1846, there is a nursing home in Paris named ''Maison Saint-Casimir''. It was created by the Polish community of France and is run since its opening by Polish nuns [[Daughters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul]].

==Notes==
{{Reflist|group=n|refs=
<ref group=n name=cosimo>The full [[tibia]] is now held at the [[Basilica of San Lorenzo, Florence]] in a reliquary by [[Massimiliano Soldani Benzi]]. Image can be seen at [https://alaintruong2014.wordpress.com/2014/08/07/the-treasure-of-the-chapel-of-relics-in-the-pitti-palace-sacri-splendori/ The Treasure of the ‘Chapel of Relics’ in the Pitti Palace – Sacri Splendori]. In return, Vilnius Cathedral received relics of [[Mary Magdalene de' Pazzi]]. (Česnulis (2014), p. 14)</ref>
}}

==References==
{{Reflist|20em}}

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{{refend}}

== External links ==
{{wikiquote}}
*{{commonscat-inline|Saint Casimir}}
*[https://panoramas.lt/panoramata/aed41278ecd9d3fa205b Interactive panorama of Saint Casimir's Chapel at Vilnius Cathedral]

{{portal bar|Biography|Catholicism|Saints|Poland}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Casimir, Saint}}
[[Category:1458 births]]
[[Category:1484 deaths]]
[[Category:Nobility from Kraków]]
[[Category:Polish Prince Royals]]
[[Category:Jagiellonian dynasty|Casimir]]
[[Category:15th-century deaths from tuberculosis]]
[[Category:Burials at Vilnius Cathedral]]
[[Category:Lithuanian Roman Catholic saints]]
[[Category:Polish Roman Catholic saints]]
[[Category:Roman Catholic royal saints]]
[[Category:National symbols of Lithuania]]
[[Category:15th-century Christian saints]]
[[Category:Tuberculosis deaths in Belarus]]
[[Category:Tuberculosis deaths in Lithuania]]
[[Category:Sons of kings]]
[[Category:Heirs apparent who never acceded]]