View_of_Polhov_Gradec_Manor_and_tower_01

Count Rihard Ursini von Blagay (17 August 1786 – 14 March 1858) was an aristocrat, Slovene

botanist Botany, also called plant science, is the branch of natural science and biology studying plants, especially Plant anatomy, their anatomy, Plant taxonomy, taxonomy, and Plant ecology, ecology. A botanist or plant scientist is a scientist who s ...

and patron of the arts. He was both first cousin and uncle-in-law of

Count Anton Alexander von Auersperg Count Anton Alexander von Auersperg, also known under the name Anastasius Grün (11 April 180612 September 1876), was an Austrian poet and liberal politician from Carniola, a former Habsburg crown land in today's Slovenia. Early life He was bor ...

, an Austrian poet and liberal politician from

Carniola Carniola ( ; ; ; ) is a historical region that comprised parts of present-day Slovenia. Although as a whole it does not exist anymore, Slovenes living within the former borders of the region still tend to identify with its traditional parts Upp ...

, better known as ''Anastasius Grün''.

Early life

Rihard Siegfried Alois Franz Salesius Jodok was born on 17 August 1786, into the House of Blagay, an old

aristocratic family Nobility is a social class found in many societies that have an aristocracy. It is normally appointed by and ranked immediately below royalty. Nobility has often been an estate of the realm with many exclusive functions and characteristics. Th ...

, collateral branch of the medieval

House of Babonić A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air condi ...

, which, at that time, was already interrogated into the

Austrian nobility The Austrian nobility () is a status group that was officially abolished in 1919 after the fall of Austria-Hungary. Austria's system of nobility was very similar to that of Germany (see German nobility), as both countries were previously part of ...

. He was the second son of Count Joseph Franz

Ursini von Blagay The Blagaj family or Blagay were a Croatian noble family, hereditary counts () that were a cadet branch of the medieval Babonić family, and named after their estate of Blagaj on the Sana in the 14th century. Over the course of the Croatian-Ott ...

(1759-1831) by his first wife, Countess Maria von Auersperg (1764-1787).

Biography

He organized numerous cultural gatherings of Slovene en-lighteners at his estate, Polhov Gradec Castle, which he acquired through the marriage to the noble Billichgrätz family. At the site of the old castle an octagonal

gloriette A gloriette (from the 12th-century French meaning "little room") is a building in a garden erected on a site that is elevated with respect to the surroundings. The structural execution and shape can vary greatly, often in the form of a pavili ...

was later built, which his wife, Countess Antonia turned into a chapel in 1853, adding 14 shrines for the

Stations of the Cross The Stations of the Cross or the Way of the Cross, also known as the Via Dolorosa, Way of Sorrows or the , are a series of fourteen images depicting Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ on the day of Crucifixion of Jesus, his crucifixion and acc ...

to it to create a

Calvary Calvary ( or ) or Golgotha () was a site immediately outside Jerusalem's walls where, according to Christianity's four canonical gospels, Jesus was crucified. Since at least the early medieval period, it has been a destination for pilgrimage. ...

. As one of the first

Župan Župan is a noble and administrative title used in several states in Central and Southeastern Europe between the 7th century and the 21st century. It was (and in Croatia still is) the leader of the administrative unit župa (or zhupa, župani ...

s of the Ljubljana district, Richard operated in

Slovenia Slovenia, officially the Republic of Slovenia, is a country in Central Europe. It borders Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the south and southeast, and a short (46.6 km) coastline within the Adriati ...

. He also collected Slovene plant species for the naturalist Heinrich Freyer.

Personal life

In 1808, von Blagay married his third cousin, Baroness Antonia von Billichgrätz zu Baumkircherthurm und Hilzenegkh (1792–1861), an heiress of Billichgrätz family and Polhov Gradec castle. She was the younger daughter of

Baron Baron is a rank of nobility or title of honour, often Hereditary title, hereditary, in various European countries, either current or historical. The female equivalent is baroness. Typically, the title denotes an aristocrat who ranks higher than ...

Joseph Anton von Billichgrätz zu Baumkircherthurm und Hilzenegkh (1748–1808) and his wife, Countess Maria Josefa von Gallenberg (1760–1813). The marriage remained childless. He died on 14 March 1858, aged 71. In 1875, the castle was purchased by Urbančič family, members of local nobility and owners of Turn Castle. The buyer was Luiza Urbančič (1842–1918), sister-in-law of

Josipina Turnograjska Josipina Urbančič (married name Toman), who published under the pen name Josipina Turnogradska (later respelled Turnograjska, 9 July 1833 – 1 June 1854), was one of the first Slovene female writers, poets, and composers. Biography Josipin ...

, one of the first Slovene female writers, poets, and composers.https://www.tms.si/stalne-razstave/muzej-poste-in-telekomunikacij/zgodovina-gradu-polhov-gradec/

References

1858 deaths 1786 births Botanists from the Austrian Empire Slovenian botanists {{Slovenia-scientist-stub

Early life

Biography

Personal life

See also

References