Johann von Planta

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Plant coat of arms with the bear's paw (at Tuor Planta in Susch)
Wildenberg-Planta Castle. Johann lived in the castle since 1645 and had it expanded.
Historical map of the Three Leagues (Republica da las Trais Lias)

Johann von Planta (* around 1500 ; † March 31, 1572 in Chur ) was a family member of the noble family of Planta ( Wildenberg ) from the Lower Engadine in what is now Switzerland . During his lifetime, he was considered one of the richest and most influential personalities in the Republic of the Three Leagues (La Republica da las Trais Lias). He was several times governor in Valtellina , a subject area of the republic. He also played a key role in the ransom of the Lower Engadine villages from the Habsburg rule, which was carried out in 1652. On March 31, 1572 he was sentenced to death by a criminal court in Chur and beheaded with a sword. This happened despite protests on the part of the republic and the confederates . After his death, the Bundestag (Dieta da las Lias) passed the three-seal letter .

Life

Little is known about the life of Johann von Planta . He was a son of Conrad Peter von Planta and an Anna Maria also from the Planta family. He had two brothers Balthasar and Konradin. He was married to Anna Flandrina Tonina . He had a doctorate in both rights, so he was educated in both civil law (Corpus iuris civilis) and ecclesiastical law (Corpus iuris canonici). From 1547 to 1569 he held political offices in Valtellina . The Valtellina was a subject of the republic in northern Italy from 1512 to 1797 . From 1553 to 1555 and from 1567 to 1569 he was governor of the Graubünden possessions in Italy, after having previously worked there as Podestà . In 1558 he became lien holder of the castle and rule of Rhäzüns , which was formally under the rule of the Habsburgs. The cost was 14,000 guilders. But the acquisition was fraught with problems. In 1560 the subjects refused to pay homage to him . There was a court case under the direction of the judge Martin Cabalzar in Ilanz . Johann von Planta found himself in a difficult situation. On the one hand, the rule was the last remaining feudal rule within the Gray Covenant. He actually had to make concessions to his subjects in line with the Ilanz articles . On the other hand, the Habsburgs could withdraw the fief from him at any time if he made too big concessions to the population. In the end, the arbitral tribunal found Johann von Planta right and the subjects had to pay tithing to him and pay homage to him. The court ruling, however, made the subjects hate their ruler. They took revenge on him in 1572. In 1668 he bought the rule of Hohentrin from the Barons von Hewen for 5,000 guilders. He controlled the mines in the Upper and Lower Engadine . From 1545 he lived in Wildenberg Castle in Zuoz in the La Plaiv countryside .

Although Philipp Gallicius had introduced the Reformation in the Engadine and the majority of his rulers joined the new faith, Johann von Planta remained true to his old faith. And certainly not just for noble motives. He took advantage of the authorization of Pope Pius V to return the church property confiscated from the Reformed in the republic to the church. In 1571 he confiscated the provost's office in Teglio in the subject's country. This and other events angered his subjects in the Chur area, so that they organized a criminal court against him. The charge was high treason against the Three Leagues. With such activities he would endanger the unity of the republic. The Bundestag also dealt with the Pope's bull. Rumors circulated Johann von Planta had allied himself with Austria and an army leader was ready to invade the Three Leagues with 8-10,000 men. Under torture , Johann von Planta confessed : "He had intended to call someone else for help". He later retracted his confession despite further torture. The criminal court ended with his beheading on March 31, 1572 in Chur.

References and comments

  1. ↑ Michael Valser: Johann von Planta, page 14
  2. ↑ Hansjürg Gredig: Historical Lexicon of Switzerland, Johann von Planta (Wildenberg)
  3. ^ Silvio Färber: Historical Lexicon of Switzerland, Criminal Court
  4. ^ Martin Bundi: Historisches Lexikon der Schweiz, Dreisieglerbrief
  5. ↑ Michael Valser: Johann von Planta, page 14
  6. ↑ At that time the rulership included the communities Rhäzüns, Bonaduz, Ems, Felsberg; this also included the Tenna and Obersaxen courts.
  7. ↑ Michael Valser: Johann von Planta, page 16
  8. ↑ Michael Valser: Johann von Planta, page 20
  9. ↑ The villages of Trins, Tamins and Reichenau belonged to the rule of Hohentrin
  10. ↑ A papal bull issued in February 1571 authorized Johann von Planta "that he could regain all the benefits of the Catholic Church that had been estranged from it by heretics in both dioceses of Chur and Como"
  11. ↑ Michael Valser: Johann von Planta, page 39
  12. ↑ Michael Valser: Johann von Planta, page 73

literature

  • Dr. phil. Michael Valser: Johann von Planta, A contribution to the political history of Rhaetia in the XVL century. F. Schulthess, 1888
  • Ulrich Campell : Raetiae alpestris topographica descriptio (topographical description of the Alpine Rhaetian / Rhaetian Alpine country). Chur 1573
personal data
SURNAME Planta, Johann von
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Swiss nobleman
DATE OF BIRTH around 1500
DATE OF DEATH March 31, 1572
Place of death Chur