Paweł Stefan Sapieha (; c. 1565–1635).

Lis coat of arms Lis (Polish language, Polish for "Fox") is a Polish heraldry, Polish coat of arms. It was used by many szlachta, noble families of Clan Lis. The legend of the coat of arms In 1058 Duke Casimir I the Restorer while chasing the pagan Old Prussian ...

was a Polish–Lithuanian

noble A noble is a member of the nobility. Noble may also refer to: Places Antarctica * Noble Glacier, King George Island * Noble Nunatak, Marie Byrd Land * Noble Peak, Wiencke Island * Noble Rocks, Graham Land Australia * Noble Island, Gr ...

and

magnate The term magnate, from the late Latin ''magnas'', a great man, itself from Latin ''magnus'', "great", means a man from the higher nobility, a man who belongs to the high office-holders or a man in a high social position, by birth, wealth or ot ...

, Grand Lithuanian Koniuszy from 1593, Deputy Chancellor of Lithuania from 1623,

starosta Starosta or starost (Cyrillic: ''старост/а'', Latin: ''capitaneus'', ) is a community elder in some Slavic lands. The Slavic root of "starost" translates as "senior". Since the Middle Ages, it has designated an official in a leadersh ...

Genealogy

Scion of the great Ruthenian and Lithuanian families of the Great Duchy of Lithuania (including the Kapustich, Gastold and Holszanski families), was a son of

voivode Voivode ( ), also spelled voivod, voievod or voevod and also known as vaivode ( ), voivoda, vojvoda, vaivada or wojewoda, is a title denoting a military leader or warlord in Central, Southeastern and Eastern Europe in use since the Early Mid ...

Minsk Minsk (, ; , ) is the capital and largest city of Belarus, located on the Svislach (Berezina), Svislach and the now subterranean Nyamiha, Niamiha rivers. As the capital, Minsk has a special administrative status in Belarus and is the administra ...

Bohdan Pawłowicz Sapieha (who was son of voivode of

Navahrudak Novogrudok or Navahrudak (; ; , ; ) is a town in Grodno Region, Belarus. It serves as the administrative center of Novogrudok District. As of 2025, it has a population of 27,624. In the Middle Ages, the city was ruled by King Mindaugas' son ...

Paweł Sapieha) and Maryna, duchess Kapuścianka (of the princes Kapusta/Kapustich of Pereiaslav); and brother to Mikołaj Sapieha (1588–1638), famous military commander Andrzej Sapieha, Barbara (Wolowiczowa), Zofia (Hajek and later Pac), Anna (Tryzna), and fourth a sister who was a

nun A nun is a woman who vows to dedicate her life to religious service and contemplation, typically living under vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience in the enclosure of a monastery or convent.''The Oxford English Dictionary'', vol. X, page 5 ...

in the Sisters of the Order of St. Basil the Great.

Life

He inherited the

Halshany Halshany (; ; ; ; ) is an agrotown in Ashmyany District, Grodno Region, Belarus. It serves as the administrative center of Halshany selsoviet. It is known as the former seat of the Olshansky princely family and the location of the ruined H ...

seat of his family, and early started his political and military career, participating in wars fought by the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. He fought in the Polish–Muscovite War from 1609 to 1611, losing a hand during the siege of Smolensk. Supporter of Polish-Swedish peace and alliance against the

Muscovy Muscovy or Moscovia () is an alternative name for the Principality of Moscow (1263–1547) and the Tsardom of Russia (1547–1721). It may also refer to: *Muscovy Company, an English trading company chartered in 1555 *Muscovy duck (''Cairina mosch ...

in negotiations ending the

Polish–Swedish wars This is a List of wars between the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth and Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to ...

in a truce signed and known as

Treaty of Stuhmsdorf The Treaty of Stuhmsdorf (), or Sztumska Wieś (), was a treaty signed on 12 September 1635 between the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth and the Swedish Empire in the village of Stuhmsdorf, Crown of the Kingdom of Poland, Poland (now Sztumska Wi ...

in 1635. Took part, bringing his own troops, in the

Smolensk War The Smolensk War (1632–1634) was a conflict fought between the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth and Russia. Hostilities began in October 1632 when Russian forces tried to capture the city of Smolensk. Small military engagements produced mix ...

against the Muscovites, but returned early due to poor health. Paweł Stefan Sapieha owned, among others, the estates surrounding the ''Zamek holszański'' (

Halshany Castle Halshany or Holszany Castle (, , ) is the ruined residence of the Sapieha magnate family in Halshany, Hrodna Voblast, Belarus. It used to be the seat of one of the largest land estates in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. The current structure wa ...

), and in fact he was the one who commissioned the famous castle to have been built. In 1618 he founded the

Franciscan The Franciscans are a group of related organizations in the Catholic Church, founded or inspired by the Italian saint Francis of Assisi. They include three independent Religious institute, religious orders for men (the Order of Friars Minor bei ...

monastery and a Roman Catholic church in Halshany (both run by the Franciscans), while he caused to close the existing Protestant church there and given the property to the Roman Catholic Church, administered by the

Basilian monks Basilian monks are Greek Catholic monks who follow the rule of Basil the Great, bishop of Caesarea (330–379). The term 'Basilian' is typically used only in the Catholic Church to distinguish Greek Catholic monks from other forms of monastic ...

. He lavished money and precious gifts to the founded churches and monasteries He died in his castle and was buried within the church he founded in Halshany. The church bell had the following Latin inscription: ''Paulus Sapieha Dux in Holszany Procancellarius M. D. L''.

Family

He was married four times, first Regina Chalecka, Chalecki coat of arms first, upon her death married Katarzyna Gosławska ( Oksza coat of arms), then Elisabeth Vesselini (daughter of a Hungarian voivode), and finally Zofia Danilowiczowna, (Daniłowicz family

Sas coat of arms Sas or Szász (origin: Slavic languages, Slavic for 'Saxon', Polish language, Polish: ''Sas'', Hungarian language, Hungarian: ''Szász'', Romanian language, Romanian: ''Saș'', Ukrainian language, Ukrainian: ''Сас'') is a Heraldry#Central and ...

). He had three daughters: Katarzyna and Tekla who became nuns, while Krystyna married Jan Hieronim Chodkiewicz, Kościesza coat of arms.

References

* Adam Boniecki, Poczet rodów w Wielkiem Księstwie Litewskiem w XV i XVI wiek Warszwa 1887, p. 117, 304–307. *

Kasper Niesiecki Kasper Niesiecki (31 December 1682 – 9 July 1744), also known as Kacper Niesiecki, was a Polish heraldist, Jesuit, lexicographer, writer, theologian and preacher. Biography Niesiecki was born in Greater Poland to a burgher family. In 1699 h ...

, Polish Armorial - "Korona Polska przy złotey wolnosci starożytnemi Rycerstwa Polskiego y Wielkiego Xięstwa Litewskiego kleynotami naywyższymi Honorami Heroicznym, Męstwem y odwagą, Wytworną Nauką a naypierwey Cnotą, nauką Pobożnością, y Swiątobliwością ozdobiona Potomnym zaś wiekom na zaszczyt y nieśmiertelną sławę Pamiętnych w tey Oyczyźnie Synow podana TOM ... Przez X. Kaspra Niesieckego Societatis Jesu", Lwów (now

Lviv Lviv ( or ; ; ; see #Names and symbols, below for other names) is the largest city in western Ukraine, as well as the List of cities in Ukraine, fifth-largest city in Ukraine, with a population of It serves as the administrative centre of ...

), 1738, Vol. 8, p. 296-297 * Polski Słownik Biograficzny, vol. 35, p. 133 (SAPIEHA Paweł Stefan (1565-1635)) * Słownik geograficzny Królestwa Polskiego i innych krajów słowiańskich. (

Geographical Dictionary of the Kingdom of Poland The Geographical Dictionary of the Kingdom of Poland and other Slavic Countries () is a monumental Polish gazetteer, published 1880–1902 in Warsaw Warsaw, officially the Capital City of Warsaw, is the capital and List of cities and towns ...

), Warszawa : nakł. Filipa Sulimierskiego i Władysława Walewskiego, 1880–1914, Volume III (1882), p. 102-103. {{DEFAULTSORT:Sapieha, Pawel Stefan Secular senators of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth 1560s births 1635 deaths Pawel Stefan Ruthenian nobility of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth Lithuanian vice-chancellors