Prince Stanisław Poniatowski (November 23, 1754 – February 13, 1833) was a Polish

nobleman 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. T ...

, politician, diplomat, a member of the wealthy Poniatowski family and a nephew of the last king of Poland,

Stanisław II Augustus Stanislav and variants may refer to: People *Stanislav (given name), a Slavic given name with many spelling variations (Stanislaus, Stanislas, Stanisław, etc.) Places * Stanislav, Kherson Oblast, a coastal village in Ukraine * Stanislaus County, ...

. He was the official Commander of the Royal Foot Guards regiment directly responsible for the monarch's life as well as the Grand Treasurer of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania (1784–1791) and

Governor A governor is an politician, administrative leader and head of a polity or Region#Political regions, political region, in some cases, such as governor-general, governors-general, as the head of a state's official representative. Depending on the ...

of Stryj, which made him a key figure in Poland during the

Age of Enlightenment The Age of Enlightenment (also the Age of Reason and the Enlightenment) was a Europe, European Intellect, intellectual and Philosophy, philosophical movement active from the late 17th to early 19th century. Chiefly valuing knowledge gained th ...

Early life

Stanisław was the son of Apolonia Ustrzycka and Polish Prince Kazimierz Poniatowski (1721–1800). His mother, a daughter of Bazyli Ustrzycki,

castellan A castellan, or constable, was the governor of a castle in medieval Europe. Its surrounding territory was referred to as the castellany. The word stems from . A castellan was almost always male, but could occasionally be female, as when, in 1 ...

Przemyśl Przemyśl () is a city in southeastern Poland with 56,466 inhabitants, as of December 2023. Data for territorial unit 1862000. In 1999, it became part of the Podkarpackie Voivodeship, Subcarpathian Voivodeship. It was previously the capital of Prz ...

, was the widow of Prince Antoni Lubomirski. His father was Deputy Chamberlain of Lithuania (1742–1773), Commander of the Royal Army and a knight of the prestigious Order of the White Eagle, awarded on August 3, 1744 in

Warsaw Warsaw, officially the Capital City of Warsaw, is the capital and List of cities and towns in Poland, largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the Vistula, River Vistula in east-central Poland. Its population is officially estimated at ...

. His father was the brother of the last

King of Poland Poland was ruled at various times either by dukes and princes (10th to 14th centuries) or by kings (11th to 18th centuries). During the latter period, a tradition of Royal elections in Poland, free election of monarchs made it a uniquely electab ...

and

Grand Duke of Lithuania This is a list of Lithuanian monarchs who ruled Lithuania from its inception until the fall of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania in 1795. The Lithuanian monarch bore the title of Grand duke, Grand Duke, with the exception of Mindaugas, who was crown ...

, who saw in his nephew a possible successor and heir to the throne of the

Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, also referred to as Poland–Lithuania or the First Polish Republic (), was a federation, federative real union between the Crown of the Kingdom of Poland, Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania ...

. Both Kazimierz and the monarch had been born to Konstancja Czartoryska, (1700–1759), related by marriage to a russophilic Polish–Lithuanian family, the

Czartoryski The House of Czartoryski (feminine form: Czartoryska, plural: Czartoryscy; ) is a Princely Houses of Poland, Polish princely family of Lithuanian-Ruthenians, Ruthenian origin, also known as the Familia (political party), Familia. The family, whic ...

Career

Poniatowski became a knight of the White Eagle on December 8, 1773. Very well educated and particularly interested in the finances and

economy An economy is an area of the Production (economics), production, Distribution (economics), distribution and trade, as well as Consumption (economics), consumption of Goods (economics), goods and Service (economics), services. In general, it is ...

of the country as well as in the

arts The arts or creative arts are a vast range of human practices involving creativity, creative expression, storytelling, and cultural participation. The arts encompass diverse and plural modes of thought, deeds, and existence in an extensive ...

, Poniatowski was not popular amongst ''

szlachta The ''szlachta'' (; ; ) were the nobility, noble estate of the realm in the Kingdom of Poland, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, and the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. Depending on the definition, they were either a warrior "caste" or a social ...

'' (the Polish nobility), who found him arrogant and competitive. Poniatowski catalog frontispiece

Poniatowski commissioned about 2500

engraved gem An engraved gem, frequently referred to as an intaglio, is a small and usually semi-precious gemstone that has been carved, in the Western tradition normally with images or inscriptions only on one face. The engraving of gemstones was a major lux ...

s from a group of gem-engravers in

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

who turned to classical literature for inspiration. In 1830, Poniatowski published a summary catalogue of his gems, ''Catalogue des Pierres Gravees Antiques de S.A. le Prince Stanislas Poniatowski'', which contained elaborate descriptions. The collection of Poniatowski gems was sold at a Christie's auction in 1839 and has been dispersed ever since. Following the

partitions of Poland The Partitions of Poland were three partition (politics), partitions of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth that took place between 1772 and 1795, toward the end of the 18th century. They ended the existence of the state, resulting in the eli ...

, Poniatowski emigrated to Italy, living first in Rome, then in

Florence Florence ( ; ) is the capital city of the Italy, Italian region of Tuscany. It is also the most populated city in Tuscany, with 362,353 inhabitants, and 989,460 in Metropolitan City of Florence, its metropolitan province as of 2025. Florence ...

. He is the ancestor of the present members of the Poniatowski family bearing the title of Fürst Poniatowski or Principe Poniatowski di Monterotondo.

Personal life

While some sources state that he married Cassandra Luci (

, 1785 -

, 1863) in 1806,The Nathaniel Hawthorne review, Vol. 22, II, Nathaniel Hawthorne Society, Hawthorne-Longfellow Library, 1996, p. 32 it is unlikely because she was already married to Vicenzo Venturini Benloch. Together, Cassandra and Stanisław were the parents of: * ''Isabella Luci'' (Rome, 1806 - Florence, 1896), married firstly in January/February 1821 to Count Prospero Bentivoglio (- 1821), without children, and secondly in 1822 to Count Zanobi di Ricci (- October 16, 1844), their daughter was Marie-Anne Walewska. Then, she married Marquess Filippo De Piccolellis. * ''Carlo Luci'' (Rome, 1808 - Florence, 1887), later Poniatowski, legitimized in 1847, made Conte di Monterotondo by the

Grand Duke of Tuscany Grand may refer to: People with the name * Grand (surname) * Grand L. Bush (born 1955), American actor Places * Grand, Oklahoma, USA * Grand, Vosges, village and commune in France with Gallo-Roman amphitheatre * Grand County (disambiguation), se ...

on November 20, 1847, Principe di Monterotondo by the Grand Duke of Tuscany and Prince Poniatowski by the

Emperor of Austria The emperor of Austria (, ) was the ruler of the Austrian Empire and later the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The hereditary imperial title and office was proclaimed in 1804 by Francis II, Holy Roman Emperor, a member of the House of Habsburg-Lorr ...

both on November 19, 1850 (Rome, August 4, 1808 -

San Pancrazio The basilica of San Pancrazio (; ) is a Catholic minor basilica and titular, conventual, and parish church founded by Pope Symmachus in the 6th century in Rome, Italy. It stands in via S. Pancrazio, westward beyond the Porta San Pancrazio tha ...

, July 23, 1887), married in Florence, September 21, 1831 to Elisa Napoleone Montecatini (

Lucca Città di Lucca ( ; ) is a city and ''comune'' in Tuscany, Central Italy, on the Serchio River, in a fertile plain near the Ligurian Sea. The city has a population of about 89,000, while its Province of Lucca, province has a population of 383,9 ...

, November 4, 1808 - Lucca, April 18, 1893), without children. * ''Costanza Luci'' (Rome, 1811 - Florence, 1851), married to Count Daniele Zappi. * '' Giuseppe Michele Saverio Francesco Giovanni Luci''(Rome, February 21, 1816 - London, July 4, 1873), later known as Józef Michał Poniatowski, legitimized in 1847, made Conte di Monterotondo by the Grand Duke of Tuscany on November 20, 1847, Principe di Monterotondo by the Grand Duke of Tuscany and Prince Poniatowski by the Emperor of Austria both on November 19, 1850.W. L. Hubbard, The American History and Encyclopedia of Music, p. 168
/ref> He was a composer and a singer, and was sent to Paris as plenipotentiary by Grand Duke of Tuscany Leopold II. In 1834, he married Countess Matilda Perotti (1814 - February 1875) in Florence, and they had one son, Stanislaus August Friedrich Joseph Telemach Luci. * ''Michele Luci'' (Rome, 1816 - Florence, 1864), founder of ''Imparziale fiorentino''.

Descendants

Among his descendants are the Princes Poniatowski of the

Empire of Austria The Austrian Empire, officially known as the Empire of Austria, was a Multinational state, multinational European Great Powers, great power from 1804 to 1867, created by proclamation out of the Habsburg monarchy, realms of the Habsburgs. Duri ...

and Counts and the Princes of Monterotondo in the

Grand Duchy of Tuscany The Grand Duchy of Tuscany (; ) was an Italian monarchy located in Central Italy that existed, with interruptions, from 1569 to 1860, replacing the Republic of Florence. The grand duchy's capital was Florence. In the 19th century the population ...

Gallery

File:Bacciarelli Apolonia Ustrzycka and her son.jpg, '' Apolonia Ustrzycka and her son'', by

Marcello Bacciarelli Marcello Bacciarelli (; 16 February 1731 – 5 January 1818) was an Italian-born painter of the late-baroque and Neoclassicism, Neoclassic periods active in Poland and the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. Biography He was born in Rome, and stud ...

File:Stanislaw Poniatowski young.jpg, Prince Stanisław Poniatowski File:Cassandra Luci.jpg, Cassandra Luci File:Costanza Luci.jpg, Costanza Luci File:Isabella Luci.jpg, Isabella Luci File:Luci-Poniatowscy 2.jpg, Carlo, Giuseppe and Michele Luci-Poniatowski

References

Bibliography

* AA.VV, ''Polonia-Italia: relazioni artistiche dal medioevo al XVIII secolo'', Polska Akademia Nauk Stacja Naukowa w Rzymie, Zakład Narodowy imienia Ossolińskich, 1979 * The Encyclopædia Britannica: a dictionary of arts, sciences, literature and general information, Vol. 22, 1911, p. 61. * {{DEFAULTSORT:Poniatowski, Stanislaw 1754 births 1833 deaths Nobility from Warsaw Stanislaw 1754 18th-century Polish nobility Grand treasurers of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania Politicians from Warsaw 18th-century Polish–Lithuanian politicians