House of Sapieha

Sapieha

The family Grand coat of arms (1858–59)
Ethnicity Polish, Lithuanian, Ruthenian
Current region Poland
Members Lew Sapieha
Eustachy Sapieha
Estate Sapieha Palace in Warsaw
Sapieha Palace in Lviv
Sapieha Palace in Vilnius
Ruzhany Palace
Lew Sapieha, the most prominent member of the family
Jan Fryderyk Sapieha
Adam Stefan Sapieha – Archbishop of Kraków.

The Sapieha (Belarusian: Сапега; Lithuanian Sapiega) is a Polish princely (magnate) family of Lithuanian and Ruthenian origin,[1][2] descending from the medieval boyars of Smolensk.[3] The family acquired great influence and wealth in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth in the 16th century.

History

In terms of ancestry of the Sapieha family, the first confirmed records date back to 15th century, when Semen Sopiha (Belarusian: Сямён Сапега) was mentioned as a writer (scribe) of the then Grand Duke of Lithuania, Casimir IV Jagiellon (Polish: Kazimierz IV Jagiellończyk) for the period of 1441–49. Semen had two sons, Bohdan and Iwan.

The creator of the fortune and power of the Sapieha family was the Court and Great Chancellor and Great Hetman of Lithuania Lew Sapieha.

On 14 September 1700, Michał Franciszek Sapieha obtained the title of Prince from Emperor Leopold I. The title became extinct upon his death on 19 November 1700. That year the family lost its dominant position in the Grand Duchy as a result of its defeat in the Lithuanian Civil War. In 1768, members of the Sapieha family obtained recognition of the princely title from the Polish Sejm. After the partitions of Poland, the family appeared in the list of persons authorised to bear the title of Prince of the Kingdom of Poland in 1824. The title was recognised in Austria in 1836 and 1840, and in Russia in 1874 and 1901. In 1905, the family obtained the qualification of Serene Highness in Austria.

The maternal grandmother of HM Queen Mathilde of Belgium was a member of the house of Sapieha.

Coat of arms

The Sapieha family held the Polish coat of arms "Lis".

Members

Palaces

See also

Bibliography

References

  1. ↑ Саверчанка І.В. Канцлер Вялікага княства. Леў Сапега, Мн., Навука і тэхніка, 1992, с.63
  2. ↑ Чаропка В. Бацька Айчыны. Леў Сапега. ў кнізе "Уладары вялікага княства", Мн., Беларусь, 1-е издание 1996, 2-ое издание 2002, с.327–408
  3. ↑ Vernadsky, George. A History of Russia. New Haven. Connecticut: Yale University Press. 1961. online
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