Łukasz
Ogończyk Górnicki (1527 in
Oświęcim
Oświęcim (; german: Auschwitz ; yi, אָשפּיצין, Oshpitzin) is a city in the Lesser Poland ( pl, Małopolska) province of southern Poland, situated southeast of Katowice, near the confluence of the Vistula (''Wisła'') and Soła rive ...
– 22 July 1603 in
Lipniki by
Tykocin
Tykocin is a small town in north-eastern Poland, with 2,010 inhabitants (2012), located on the Narew river, in Białystok County in the Podlaskie Voivodeship. It is one of the oldest towns in the region, with its historic center designated a His ...
), was a Polish Renaissance, poet, humanist, political commentator as well as secretary and chancellor of king
Sigismund Augustus of Poland.
He wrote a number of works both poetic and political. Górnicki is most famous from his ''Dworzanin polski'', an adaptation of
Baldassare Castiglione
Baldassare Castiglione, Count of Casatico (; 6 December 1478 – 2 February 1529),Dates of birth and death, and cause of the latter, fro, ''Italica'', Rai International online. was an Italian courtier, diplomat, soldier and a prominent Renaissanc ...
's
Book of the Courtier (''Il cortegiano'').
Life
Youth and education
Łukasz Górnicki was born in
Oświęcim
Oświęcim (; german: Auschwitz ; yi, אָשפּיצין, Oshpitzin) is a city in the Lesser Poland ( pl, Małopolska) province of southern Poland, situated southeast of Katowice, near the confluence of the Vistula (''Wisła'') and Soła rive ...
. He was the son of Marcin Góra and Anna Gąsiorkówna, poor townspeople from
Bochnia
Bochnia (german: Salzberg) is a town on the river Raba in southern Poland. The town lies approximately halfway between Tarnów (east) and the regional capital Kraków (west). Bochnia is most noted for its salt mine, the oldest functioning i ...
. Górnicki began his education there. His early life was heavily influenced by his uncle Stanisław Gąsiorek, called Anserinu, a cleric at and director of the royal chapel on
Wawel
The Wawel Royal Castle (; ''Zamek Królewski na Wawelu'') and the Wawel Hill on which it sits constitute the most historically and culturally significant site in Poland. A fortified residency on the Vistula River in Kraków, it was established o ...
, as well as author of Polish patriotic verses and composer. Stanisław took an interest in his nephew and brought him to
Kraków
Kraków (), or Cracow, is the second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city dates back to the seventh century. Kraków was the official capital of Poland until 1596 ...
in 1538, seeing to the young man's studies and court carrier, and eventually declaring Górnicki his heir.
The exact contours of Górnicki's education are uncertain, though it can be said that he never entered the
Kraków Academy.
At the court of Sigismund August
Górnicki worked at court from his youth until his death. In this time he had ample opportunity to encounter the courtly life surrounding the king. In 1548 he went on bishop
Filip Padniewski's diplomatic mission to
Transylvania
Transylvania ( ro, Ardeal or ; hu, Erdély; german: Siebenbürgen) is a historical and cultural region in Central Europe, encompassing central Romania. To the east and south its natural border is the Carpathian Mountains, and to the west the Ap ...
. From 1552 he worked in the royal chancery under the direction of the chancellor
Jan Przerembski. In 1552 Górnicki travelled with Przerembski in the king's service
Gdańsk,
Kaliningrad
Kaliningrad ( ; rus, Калининград, p=kəlʲɪnʲɪnˈɡrat, links=y), until 1946 known as Königsberg (; rus, Кёнигсберг, Kyonigsberg, ˈkʲɵnʲɪɡzbɛrk; rus, Короле́вец, Korolevets), is the largest city and ...
, and
Lithuania.
In this period he took low orders, and received a few
benefices
A benefice () or living is a reward received in exchange for services rendered and as a retainer for future services. The Roman Empire used the Latin term as a benefit to an individual from the Empire for services rendered. Its use was adopted by ...
as a result. Having gained some financial stability from these benefices and from his uncle's will, Górnicki set off for Italy for two years in 1557. Resident in
Padua
Padua ( ; it, Padova ; vec, Pàdova) is a city and ''comune'' in Veneto, northern Italy. Padua is on the river Bacchiglione, west of Venice. It is the capital of the province of Padua. It is also the economic and communications hub of the ...
, he studied law at the university there. He returned to Poland in February 1559.
''Dworzanin Polski''
From 1559 to mid-1565, Górnicki worked on a translation and adaptation of
Baldassare Castiglione
Baldassare Castiglione, Count of Casatico (; 6 December 1478 – 2 February 1529),Dates of birth and death, and cause of the latter, fro, ''Italica'', Rai International online. was an Italian courtier, diplomat, soldier and a prominent Renaissanc ...
's
Book of the Courtier (''Il cortegiano''). This was published in Kraków as ''Dworzanin polski'' in 1566 and was dedicated to King
Sigismund August
Sigismund II Augustus ( pl, Zygmunt II August, lt, Žygimantas Augustas; 1 August 1520 – 7 July 1572) was King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania, the son of Sigismund I the Old, whom Sigismund II succeeded in 1548. He was the first ruler ...
. Górnicki followed Castiglione's model, but changed it to match the Polish situation. He moved the discussion at the base of the text from the court of
Guidobaldo da Montefeltro
Guidobaldo (Guido Ubaldo) da Montefeltro (25 January 1472 – 10 April 1508), also known as Guidobaldo I, was an Italian condottiero and the Duke of Urbino from 1482 to 1508.
Biography
Born in Gubbio, he succeeded his father Federico da Montefel ...
in
Urbino
Urbino ( ; ; Romagnol: ''Urbìn'') is a walled city in the Marche region of Italy, south-west of Pesaro, a World Heritage Site notable for a remarkable historical legacy of independent Renaissance culture, especially under the patronage of F ...
in 1507 to the residence of Bishop
Samuel Maciejowski Samuel Maciejowski (15 January 1499 – 26 October 1550) was a 16th-century Roman Catholic Bishop of Chełm, Płock and Kraków, in Poland.
Early life
He was born 15 January 1499 and ordained a priest in 1530.
He began his career in 1518 as a no ...
in
Prądnik Biały near
Kraków
Kraków (), or Cracow, is the second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city dates back to the seventh century. Kraków was the official capital of Poland until 1596 ...
in 1549. In that conversation the participants discuss the ideal courtier, a nonchalant man of good family, who brings together good manners and breeding with honor and education. The discussants in Górnicki's version were:
Wojciech Kryski,
Stanisław Maciejowski,
Andrzej Kostka,
Aleksander Myszkowski,
Jan Dreśniak,
Stanisław Wapowski,
Stanisław Bojanowski and
Stanisław Lupa Podlodowski (father-in-law of
Jan Kochanowski
Jan Kochanowski (; 1530 – 22 August 1584) was a Polish Renaissance poet who established poetic patterns that would become integral to the Polish literary language. He is commonly regarded as the greatest Polish poet before Adam Mickiewicz.
...
).
For this work Górnicki received a noble title from King Sigismund, as well as the
Ogończyk coat of arms in 1561.
Later life
Between 1574 and 1579 Górnicki married Barbara Broniewska, his junior by almost 30 years, daughter of
Stanisław Broniowski,
Master of the Horse
Master of the Horse is an official position in several European nations. It was more common when most countries in Europe were monarchies, and is of varying prominence today.
(Ancient Rome)
The original Master of the Horse ( la, Magister Equitu ...
in
Przemyśl.
Łukasz Górnicki died in Lipniki pod
Tykocin
Tykocin is a small town in north-eastern Poland, with 2,010 inhabitants (2012), located on the Narew river, in Białystok County in the Podlaskie Voivodeship. It is one of the oldest towns in the region, with its historic center designated a His ...
em on 22 July 1603. He was buried in Tykocin in the Bernardine church on the island of Narew.
Works
''Rozmowa_O_Elekcyey,_o_Wolności,_o_Prawie_y_obyczaiach_Polskich_Podczas_Electiey_Krola_Iego_Mci_Zygmunta_III_czyniona_[.../nowiki>''.html" ;"title="..
">''Rozmowa O Elekcyey, o Wolności, o Prawie y obyczaiach Polskich Podczas Electiey Krola Iego Mci Zygmunta III czyniona [...
/nowiki>''">..">''Rozmowa O Elekcyey, o Wolności, o Prawie y obyczaiach Polskich Podczas Electiey Krola Iego Mci Zygmunta III czyniona [...
/nowiki>'' Kraków, 1616.
''Unterredung von der Wahl, Freyheit, Gesetzen und Sitten der Pohlen [...
/nowiki>'']. Wrocław; Leipzig, 1753.
''Lucas Gornicki, Starosten von Tykocin und Wasilkow, Unterredung von der Wahl, Freyheit, Gesetzen und Sitten der Pohlen, zur Zeit der Wahl Sigismund des Dritten verfertiget und ohnlängst nach verbesserter alten pohlnischen Schreibart aufs neue herausgegeben durch J.Z.R.K. Nunmehro [...
/nowiki> ins Deutsche übersetzet und mit [...] dem Leben des Auctoris versehen von Christian Gottlieb Friesen'']. Wrocław, 1762.
''Clarissimi_Viri_Lucae_Gornickij_[…
/nowiki>_Actio_Adversus_Demetrium_Et_Pro_Demetrio,_Latine_Versa_[….html" ;"title="��">''Clarissimi Viri Lucae Gornickij […
/nowiki> Actio Adversus Demetrium Et Pro Demetrio, Latine Versa […">��">''Clarissimi Viri Lucae Gornickij […
/nowiki> Actio Adversus Demetrium Et Pro Demetrio, Latine Versa […/nowiki> = Sławnego Męża Łukasza Gornickiego […] Sprawa Przeciw Dymitrowi Y Za Dymitrem'']. Wilno, 1788.
''Rozmowa o Elekcyi, o Wolności, o Prawie, y obyczaiach Polskich. Podczas Elekcyi Króla Jego Mći Zygmunta III czyniona. Pisana przez Łukasza Gornickiego [...
/nowiki>. Teraz nowo wydana y w stylu Staro-Polskim nieco poprawiona przez J. Z. R. K.'']. Warsaw, 1750-1795.
''Nowy_Karakter_Polski_Z_Drukarnie_Lazarzowey:_Y_Orthographia_Polska:_Iana_Kochanowskiego,_[...
/nowiki>_Lukasza_Gornickie[go.html" ;"title="..">''Nowy Karakter Polski Z Drukarnie Lazarzowey: Y Orthographia Polska: Iana Kochanowskiego, [...
/nowiki> Lukasza Gornickie[go">..">''Nowy Karakter Polski Z Drukarnie Lazarzowey: Y Orthographia Polska: Iana Kochanowskiego, [...
/nowiki> Lukasza Gornickie[go/nowiki>, [...] Iana Ianuszowskiego''], Kraków 1594. (Co-authored with Jan Kochanowski
Jan Kochanowski (; 1530 – 22 August 1584) was a Polish Renaissance poet who established poetic patterns that would become integral to the Polish literary language. He is commonly regarded as the greatest Polish poet before Adam Mickiewicz.
...
and Jan Januszowski.)
Bibliography
* Bodniak, Stanisław. ''Karta z bibljotekarskich i starościńskich zajęć Górnickiego.'' Kraków, 1928.
* Czarnik, Bronisław. ''Żywot Łukasza Górnickiego.'' Lwów, 1883.
* Kozielewski, Ignacy. ''Łukasz Górnicki: studium historyczno-literackie.'' Lwów, 1929.
* Lichański, Jakub Zdzisław. ''Łukasz Górnicki.'' Wrocław, 1982.
* Lichański, Jakub Zdzisław. ''Łukasz Górnicki: sarmacki Castiglione.'' Warsaw, 1998.
* Lowenfeld, Rafał. ''Łukasz Górnicki, jego życie i dzieła: przyczynek do dziejów humanizmu w Polsce.'' Warsaw, 1884.
* Noworolskiej, B., and W. Steca. ''Łukasz Górnicki i jego czasy.'' Białystok, 1993.
* Salwa, P., ed. ''Łukasz Górnicki i jego włoskie inspiracje.'' Warsaw, 2005.
* Pollak, Roman. "Górnicki Łukasz (1527-1603)." In ''Polski Słownik Biograficzny
''Polski Słownik Biograficzny'' (''PSB''; Polish Biographical Dictionary) is a Polish-language biographical dictionary, comprising an alphabetically arranged compilation of authoritative biographies of some 25,000 notable Poles and of foreigner ...
'', vol. 8, part. 3. Wrocław, 1960.
References
1527 births
1603 deaths
People from Oświęcim
Polish nobility
Polish political writers
Polish poets
Polish translators
Polish male poets
{{Poland-writer-stub