The House of Sapieha (; be, Сапега, ''Sapieha''; lt, Sapiega) is a Polish-Lithuanian noble and magnate family of Lithuanian and Ruthenian origin,Энцыклапедыя ВКЛ. Т.2, арт. "Сапегі" descending from the medieval boyars of

Smolensk Smolensk ( rus, Смоленск, p=smɐˈlʲensk, a=smolensk_ru.ogg) is a city and the administrative center of Smolensk Oblast, Russia, located on the Dnieper River, west-southwest of Moscow. First mentioned in 863, it is one of the oldest ...

and

Polotsk Polotsk (russian: По́лоцк; be, По́лацк, translit=Polatsk (BGN/PCGN), Polack (official transliteration); lt, Polockas; pl, Połock) is a historical city in Belarus, situated on the Dvina River. It is the center of the Polotsk Dist ...

. Vernadsky, George. ''A History of Russia''. New Haven. Connecticut: Yale University Press. 1961
online
/ref> The family acquired great influence and wealth in the

Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, formally known as the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, and, after 1791, as the Commonwealth of Poland, was a bi- confederal state, sometimes called a federation, of Poland and Lithuania ru ...

during the 16th century.

History

The first confirmed records of the Sapieha family date back to the 15th century, when Semen Sopiha ( be, Сямён Сапега) was mentioned as a writer (scribe) of the then King of Poland and

Grand Duke of Lithuania The monarchy of Lithuania concerned the monarchical head of state of Kingdom of Lithuania, Lithuania, which was established as an Absolute monarchy, absolute and hereditary monarchy. Throughout Lithuania's history there were three Duke, ducal D ...

Casimir IV Jagiellon Casimir IV (in full Casimir IV Andrew Jagiellon; pl, Kazimierz IV Andrzej Jagiellończyk ; Lithuanian: ; 30 November 1427 – 7 June 1492) was Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1440 and King of Poland from 1447, until his death. He was one of the m ...

( pl, Kazimierz IV Jagiellończyk) for the period of 1441–49. Semen had two sons, Bohdan and Iwan. Possibly, the family of Semen Sopiha owned the village of

Sopieszyno Sopieszyno (in Kashubian ''Sopieszëno'') is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Wejherowo, within Wejherowo County, Pomeranian Voivodeship, in northern Poland. It lies approximately south of Wejherowo Wejherowo ( csb, Wejro ...

near Gdansk, which they left because of the Teutonic invasion.

is one of the oldest

Pomerania Pomerania ( pl, Pomorze; german: Pommern; Kashubian: ''Pòmòrskô''; sv, Pommern) is a historical region on the southern shore of the Baltic Sea in Central Europe, split between Poland and Germany. The western part of Pomerania belongs to ...

n villages. The records have it that already in the 11th-12th centuries it was a

knight A knight is a person granted an honorary title of knighthood by a head of state (including the Pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church or the country, especially in a military capacity. Knighthood finds origins in the Gr ...

ly estate. It was then mentioned in 1399 as a village owned in

fief A fief (; la, feudum) was a central element in medieval contracts based on feudal law. It consisted of a form of property holding or other rights granted by an overlord to a vassal, who held it in fealty or "in fee" in return for a form ...

dom by knights subject to the

Polish Crown The Crown of the Kingdom of Poland ( pl, Korona Królestwa Polskiego; Latin: ''Corona Regni Poloniae''), known also as the Polish Crown, is the common name for the historic Late Middle Ages territorial possessions of the King of Poland, incl ...

. Their family could be involved in the Baltic-Volga trade, as many Pomeranian families. The family descended from

Ukrainian Ukrainian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Ukraine * Something relating to Ukrainians, an East Slavic people from Eastern Europe * Something relating to demographics of Ukraine in terms of demography and population of Ukraine * So ...

boyars subject to Lithuania. The creator of the fortune and power of the Sapieha family was the Court and Great Chancellor and Great

Hetman ( uk, гетьман, translit=het'man) is a political title from Central and Eastern Europe, historically assigned to military commanders. Used by the Czechs in Bohemia since the 15th century. It was the title of the second-highest military co ...

of Lithuania,

Lew Sapieha Lew Sapieha ( lt, Leonas Sapiega; be, Леў Сапега or Lieŭ Sapieha; 4 April 1557 – 7 July 1633) was a nobleman and statesman of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. He became Great Secretary of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania in 1580, Gr ...

. The

prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. T ...

ly title of the Sapieha-Kodenski branch was recognized in Poland in 1572 and in Austria-Hungary in 1845, while that of the Sapieha-Rozanski line was officially acknowledged in Russia in 1880.Enache, Nicolas. ''La Descendance de Marie-Therese de Habsburg''. ICC, Paris, 1996. pp. 72, 80-81. (French). On 14 September 1700, Michał Franciszek Sapieha had obtained the title of prince from Emperor Leopold I, but 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 The Sejm (English: , Polish: ), officially known as the Sejm of the Republic of Poland ( Polish: ''Sejm Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej''), is the lower house of the bicameral parliament of Poland. The Sejm has been the highest governing body of ...

. 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 The Kingdom of Poland ( pl, Królestwo Polskie; Latin: ''Regnum Poloniae'') was a state in Central Europe. It may refer to: Historical political entities * Kingdom of Poland, a kingdom existing from 1025 to 1031 * Kingdom of Poland, a kingdom exi ...

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

Queen Mathilde of Belgium Mathilde (born ''Jonkvrouw'' Mathilde Marie Christine Ghislaine d'Udekem d'Acoz ; 20 January 1973) is Queen of the Belgians as the wife of King Philippe. She is the first native-born Belgian queen. She has founded and assisted charities to ...

was a Princess of the house of Sapieha.

Coat of arms

The Sapieha family used the Polish coat of arms named " Lis". image:POL COA Lis.svg, Lis coat of arms image:Herb Sapiehów.PNG, Original arms of the Princes Sapieha image:POL COA Sapieha alt.svg, Later arms of the Princes Sapieha (1858–1859)

Notable members

Adam Stefan Sapieha Prince Adam Stefan Stanisław Bonifacy Józef Cardinal Sapieha (; 14 May 1867 – 23 July 1951) was a senior-ranking Polish prelate of the Catholic Church who served as Archbishop of Kraków from 1911 to 1951. Between 1922 and 1923, he was a se ...

(1867–1951), cardinal, archbishop of

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 ...

* Adam Zygmunt Sapieha (1892–1970), cavalryman, aviator * Aleksander Michał Sapieha (1730–1793), voivode of Płock, Field Lithuanian Hetman, Grand Lithuanian Chancellor, marshal of the Lithuanian Tribunal * Aleksander Sapieha (1888–1976), aviator * Andrzej Józef Sapieha (1894–1945), he participated in the Polish–Soviet War, member of the Armia Krajowa *

Andrzej Sapieha Andrzej Sapieha (1539 – October 11, 1621) was a Polish–Lithuanian nobleman ('' szlachcic'') of the Sapieha family, who served as the Great Royal Deputy Cup-bearer of Lithuania (''Podczaszy wielki litewski''), castellan of Minsk, and Voivo ...

(1539–1621), Great Royal Deputy Cup-bearer of Lithuania, castellan of

Minsk Minsk ( be, Мінск ; russian: Минск) is the capital and the largest city of Belarus, located on the Svislach and the now subterranean Niamiha rivers. As the capital, Minsk has a special administrative status in Belarus and is the admi ...

, and Voivode of Polotsk and

Anna Zofia Sapieha Princess Anna Zofia Sapieha (17 October 1799 – 24 November 1864) was a Polish noblewoman Nobility is a social class found in many societies that have an aristocracy. It is normally ranked immediately below royalty. Nobility has ofte ...

(1799–1864), wife of

Adam Jerzy Czartoryski Adam Jerzy Czartoryski (; lt, Аdomas Jurgis Čartoriskis; 14 January 177015 July 1861), in English known as Adam George Czartoryski, was a Polish nobleman, statesman, diplomat and author. The son of a wealthy prince, he began his political c ...

* Arabella Theresa Sapieha (1960), Princess Sapieha-Rozanski * Bohdan Sapieha, several people * Eustachy Kajetan Sapieha (1797–1860), he participated in the November uprising, politically tied with the "

Hôtel Lambert The Hôtel Lambert () is a ''hôtel particulier,'' a grand mansion townhouse, on the Quai Anjou on the eastern tip of the Île Saint-Louis, in the 4th arrondissement of Paris. In the 19th century, the name ''Hôtel Lambert'' also came to designate ...

" *

Eustachy Sapieha Eustachy Kajetan Sapieha (2 August 1881 – 20 February 1963) was a Polish nobleman, prince of the Sapieha family, politician, Polish Minister of Foreign Affairs, and deputy to the Polish parliament ( Sejm). Politics In 1900–04, he studi ...

(1881–1963), politician, Polish Minister of Foreign Affairs 1920-1921 * Eustachy Seweryn Sapieha (1916–2004), hunter, historian of the Sapieha family * Franciszek Sapieha (1772–1829), general, he participated in the Kościuszko uprising * Fryderyk Sapieha (1599–1650), voivode of Mścisław, podkomorzy of Vitebsk * Kazimierz Lew Sapieha (1607–1656), Marshal of the Crown, son of Lew Sapieha * Jan Andrzej Sapieha (1910–1989), head of House Sapieha, he participated in the Defence War of 1939 * Jan Fryderyk Sapieha (1680–1751), Grand Recorder of Lithuania * Jan Kazimierz Sapieha the Elder (?–1730), Grand Hetman of Lithuania * Jan Kazimierz Sapieha the Younger, (ca. 1642–1720), Field Hetman * Jan Pavel Sapieha-Rozanski (1935) head of House Sapieha, sometime Belgian ambassador to Brazil *

Jan Piotr Sapieha Jan Piotr Sapieha (English: ''John Peter Sapieha'', 1569–1611) was a Polish-Lithuanian nobleman, general, politician, diplomat, governor of Uświat county, member of the Parliament and a skilled commander of the Polish troops stationing in th ...

(1569–1611), Polish royal officer *

Jan Stanisław Sapieha Jan Stanisław Sapieha ( lt, Jonas Stanislovas Sapiega; 25 October 1589 in Maladziečna - 10 April 1635 in Lyakhavichy) was a Polish-Lithuanian noble, starost of Słonim, Court Marshal of Lithuania from 1617, Great Lithuanian Marshal from 16 ...

(1589–1635), Court Marshal of Lithuania, Great Lithuanian Marshal * Józef Sapieha, he participated in the

Polish–Soviet War The Polish–Soviet War (Polish–Bolshevik War, Polish–Soviet War, Polish–Russian War 1919–1921) * russian: Советско-польская война (''Sovetsko-polskaya voyna'', Soviet-Polish War), Польский фронт (' ...

* Karol Władysław Sapieha (1920–1941), pilot of the Polish Air Forces in Great Britain in World War II *

Kazimierz Nestor Sapieha Prince Kazimierz Nestor Sapieha (1757–1798) was a Poland, Polish-Lithuanian noble (szlachcic) and one the creators of the 3 May Constitution. Biography Early life and career Kazimierz Sapieha was educated at the Corps of Cadets (Warsaw), Kni ...

(1757–1798), political activist, general * Leon Aleksander Sapieha (1883–1944), landlord, member of the

, member of Związek Walki Zbrojnej and the Armia Krajowa * Leon Roman Sapieha (1915–1940), pilot of the

Polish Air Forces in Great Britain The Polish Air Forces ( pl, Polskie Siły Powietrzne) was the name of the Polish Air Forces formed in France and the United Kingdom during World War II. The core of the Polish air units fighting alongside the Allies were experienced veterans of ...

in World War II * Leon Sapieha (1803–1878), political and economic activist * Lew Jerzy Sapieha (1913–1990), poet, writer *

(1557–1633),

Court Chancellor A court is any person or institution, often as a government institution, with the authority to adjudicate legal disputes between parties and carry out the administration of justice in civil, criminal, and administrative matters in accordance ...

and

Great Hetman of Lithuania Great may refer to: Descriptions or measurements * Great, a relative measurement in physical space, see Size * Greatness, being divine, majestic, superior, majestic, or transcendent People * List of people known as "the Great" *Artel Great (born ...

* Maria Sapieha (1910–2009), social activist * Michał Franciszek Sapieha (1670–1700), General,

Koniuszy 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 ...

Mikołaj Krzysztof Sapieha Mikołaj Krzysztof Sapieha ( lt, Mykalojus Kristupas Sapiega; 1613–1639) of Lis coat of arms, was the Voivode of Nowogródek (1618–38), Voivode of Mińsk (1638–39), Notary of Lithuania since 1637