Bialowieza Plague Refuge Sheltered Royalty

Bialowieza Forest, now spanning Poland and Belarus, preserves part of the ancient woodland that once covered much of Europe. In 1426, Polish king Wladyslaw II Jagiello and Queen Sophia took refuge at a hunting manor there while plague spread through Polish and Lithuanian towns. The royal couple remained among the secluded woodlands and hunted while waiting for the epidemic to pass, although Jagiello broke his leg while pursuing a bear. Centuries of royal ownership, restricted hunting, and later conservation laws helped preserve it.

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