The House of Wiśniowiecki () was a Polish-Lithuanian princely family of Ruthenian origin, notable in the history 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 ...

. They were powerful

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 ...

s with estates predominantly in the

Ruthenia ''Ruthenia'' is an exonym, originally used in Medieval Latin, as one of several terms for Rus'. Originally, the term ''Rus' land'' referred to a triangular area, which mainly corresponds to the tribe of Polans in Dnieper Ukraine. ''Ruthenia' ...

n lands of the

Crown of the Kingdom of Poland The Crown of the Kingdom of Poland (; ) was a political and legal concept formed in the 14th century in the Kingdom of Poland, assuming unity, indivisibility and continuity of the state. Under this idea, the state was no longer seen as the Pat ...

, and they used the Polish coat of arms of '' Korybut''. The family is a

cadet branch A cadet branch consists of the male-line descendants of a monarch's or patriarch's younger sons ( cadets). In the ruling dynasties and noble families of much of Europe and Asia, the family's major assets (realm, titles, fiefs, property and incom ...

of the House of Zbaraski.

History

The family tradition would trace their descent to the

Gediminids The House of Gediminas (), or simply the Gediminids, were a dynasty of monarchs in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania that reigned from the 14th to the 16th century. A cadet branch of this family, known as the Jagiellonian dynasty, reigned also in th ...

, but modern historians believe there is more evidence for them to have descended from the

Rurikid The Rurik dynasty, also known as the Rurikid or Riurikid dynasty, as well as simply Rurikids or Riurikids, was a noble lineage allegedly founded by the Varangian prince Rurik, who, according to tradition, established himself at Novgorod in the ...

s. According to the Gediminids relation theory, the ancestor of the family was Duke

Kaributas Kaributas (''Koribut'', ''Korybut'', baptized ''Dmitry''; after 1350 – after 1404) was a son of Algirdas, Grand Duke of Lithuania, and reigned in Severian Novgorod until 1393. Kaributas was born some time after 1350 (exact date is unknown ...

(Ruthenian: ''Dymitr Korybut''),Mytsyk, Yu.
Vyshnevetski
'. Encyclopedia of History of Ukraine. a son of the

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 ...

Algirdas Algirdas (; , ; – May 1377) was List of Lithuanian monarchs, Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1345 to 1377. With the help of his brother Kęstutis (who defended the western border of the Duchy) he created an empire stretching from the pre ...

. Kaributas was stripped of the Duchy of

Severia Severia (, ; ) or Siveria ( / , ''Siveria'' / ''Sivershchyna'') is a historical region in present-day southwest Russia, northern Ukraine, and eastern Belarus. The largest part lies in modern Russia, while the central part of the region is the c ...

and transferred to

Volhynia Volhynia or Volynia ( ; see #Names and etymology, below) is a historic region in Central and Eastern Europe, between southeastern Poland, southwestern Belarus, and northwestern Ukraine. The borders of the region are not clearly defined, but in ...

and

Podolia Podolia or Podillia is a historic region in Eastern Europe located in the west-central and southwestern parts of Ukraine and northeastern Moldova (i.e. northern Transnistria). Podolia is bordered by the Dniester River and Boh River. It features ...

where he was given to govern cities of

Vinnytsia Vinnytsia ( ; , ) is a city in west-central Ukraine, located on the banks of the Southern Bug. It serves as the administrative centre, administrative center of Vinnytsia Oblast. It is the largest city in the historic region of Podillia. It also s ...

and Kremenets, and

Zbarazh Zbarazh (, ; ; ) is a small city in Ternopil Raion, Ternopil Oblast, western Ukraine. It is located in the historic region of Galicia (Central Europe), Galicia. Zbarazh hosts the administration of Zbarazh urban hromada, one of the hromadas of Ukr ...

as a private estate. At first Zbarazh was inherited by Ivan, but in 1434 it was passed on to the second son of Korybut Fedor of Nieśwież. The latter became a progenitor of such princely families like Porycki, Woronecki, Zbaraski. In the 15th century Wiśniowiecki family split away from House of Zbaraski. The family place was city of Wiśniowiec (now Vyshnivets). At first Wiśniowiecki estates were located predominantly in

, but since 1580s also included on

left-bank Ukraine The Left-bank Ukraine is a historic name of the part of Ukraine on the left (east) bank of the Dnieper River, comprising the modern-day oblasts of Chernihiv, Poltava and Sumy as well as the eastern parts of Kyiv and Cherkasy. Left-bank Ukrain ...

in a region around Lubny, Romny, others that in the past belonged to the princes Glinski and Daumantas. From their days as Ruthenian nobility, they held the title of '' Kniaz'' (prince). By the late 16th century, the family converted from Orthodox to

Catholicism The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

and became Polonized. They gained much importance in the

, with vast possessions in the 16th to 18th centuries on the territories of today's

Ukraine Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the List of European countries by area, second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which Russia–Ukraine border, borders it to the east and northeast. Ukraine also borders Belarus to the nor ...

, particularly the town of Vyshnivets (''Wiśniowiec''). Their estates were so vast and their position so powerful that they were known as the most powerful of

s – the "kinglings" or "kinglets" (''"królewięta"''). Their ancestral seat was the Vyshnivets Castle. The family's golden age was the 17th century, when its members accumulated much wealth and influence, held numerous important posts within the Commonwealth. Likely the most notable members of this family were

Michael I Michael I may refer to: * Pope Michael I of Alexandria, Coptic Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark in 743–767 * Michael I Rangabe, Byzantine Emperor (died in 844) * Michael I Cerularius, Patriarch Michael I of Constantinop ...

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

from 1669 to 1673, his father Jeremi Wiśniowiecki, as well as Dmytro Vyshnevetsky who was an important Cossack leader.

Coat of arms

The coat of arms of the House of Wiśniowiecki was the Korybut coat of arms. File:Coat of Arms of Michal Korybut Wisniowiecki as king of Poland.svg, Coat of Arms of King

Michał Korybut Wiśniowiecki Michael I (, ; 31 May 1640 – 10 November 1673) was the ruler of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth as List of Polish monarchs, King of Poland and Grand Duchy of Lithuania, Grand Duke of Lithuania from 29 September 1669 until his death in 1673 ...

Notable family members

* Michał Zbaraski Wiśniowiecki (died after 1516), Prince at Wiśniowiec, progenitor of the Wiśniowiecki family ** Feodor Wiśniowiecki (died in 1533), married Maria of

Moldavia Moldavia (, or ; in Romanian Cyrillic alphabet, Romanian Cyrillic: or ) is a historical region and former principality in Eastern Europe, corresponding to the territory between the Eastern Carpathians and the Dniester River. An initially in ...

, married secondly Princess Anastasia Zilinska (died after 1535) ** Iwan Wiśniowiecki (died after 1516),

courtier A courtier () is a person who attends the royal court of a monarch or other royalty. The earliest historical examples of courtiers were part of the retinues of rulers. Historically the court was the centre of government as well as the officia ...

, married Nastazja Olizarowicz h. Chorągwie ***

Konstanty Wiśniowiecki Prince Konstanty Wiśniowiecki (1564–1641) was a Polish nobleman, voivode of Belz since 1636, of Ruthenia since 1638 and starost of Czerkasy and Kamieniec was a wealthy, powerful and influential magnate, experienced in both politics and warfa ...

(before 1516–1574), courtier, starost of Żytomierz, married Anna Elżbieta Swierszcz z Olchowca h. Jastrzębiec ****

(1564–1641), voivode of Belz and

, married Anna Zahorowska h. Korczak, Urszula Mniszech h. Mniszech, Katarzyna Korniaktowna h. Krucyni and Krystyna Strusiówna h. Korczak ***** Marianna Wiśniowiecka (1600–1624), married

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 ...

of Bełz and Ruthenia

Marshal Marshal is a term used in several official titles in various branches of society. As marshals became trusted members of the courts of Middle Ages, Medieval Europe, the title grew in reputation. During the last few centuries, it has been used fo ...

Jakub Sobieski h.

Janina Ioannina ( ' ), often called Yannena ( ' ) within Greece, is the capital and largest city of the Ioannina (regional unit), Ioannina regional unit and of Epirus (region), Epirus, an Modern regions of Greece, administrative region in northwester ...

, the father of

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 ...

Jan III Sobieski ***** Janusz Wiśniowiecki (1598–1636), Master of the Stables of the Crown, married Katarzyna Eugenia Tyszkiewicz h. Leliwa ****** Dymitr Jerzy Wiśniowiecki (1631–1682), Great Guard and

Hetman ''Hetman'' is a political title from Central and Eastern Europe, historically assigned to military commanders (comparable to a field marshal or imperial marshal in the Holy Roman Empire). First used by the Czechs in Bohemia in the 15th century, ...

of the Crown, voivode of Belz and

Kraków , officially the Royal Capital City of Kraków, is the List of cities and towns in Poland, second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city has a population of 804,237 ...

, married Marianna Zamoyska h. Jelita ****** Konstanty Krzysztof Wiśniowiecki (1633–1686), voivode of Podlasie of

Bracław Bratslav (, ; ) is a rural settlement in Ukraine Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the List of European countries by area, second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which Russia–Ukraine border, borders it to the east a ...

and

Bełz Belz (, ; ; ) is a small city in Lviv Oblast, western Ukraine, located near the Poland–Ukraine border, border with Poland between the Solokiya River (a tributary of the Bug River) and the Richytsia stream. Belz hosts the administration of Belz ...

, married Urszula Teresa Mniszech h. Mniszech and Anna Chodorowska h. Korczak ******* Janusz Antoni Wiśniowiecki (1678–1741), voivode of

Wilno Vilnius ( , ) is the capital of and List of cities in Lithuania#Cities, largest city in Lithuania and the List of cities in the Baltic states by population, most-populous city in the Baltic states. The city's estimated January 2025 population w ...

and Marshal, married Teofilia Leszczyńska h. Wieniawa ******** Urszula Franciszka Wiśniowiecka (1705–1753), dramatist and writer, married voivode of Troki and Hetman Prince Michał Kazimierz "Rybeńko" Radziwiłł h. Trąby ******* Michał Serwacy Wiśniowiecki (1680–1744), the last male representative of the Wiśniowiecki family, Hetman,

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 ...

and Voivode of Wilno, Great Chancellor of Lithuania, married Katarzyna Dolska h. Kościesza, Maria Magdalena Czartoryska h.

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 ...

and Tekla Róża Radziwiłł h. Trąby *** Dmytro Vyshnevetsky, also known as ''Baida'', first

Ataman Ataman (variants: ''otaman'', ''wataman'', ''vataman''; ; ) was a title of Cossack and haidamak leaders of various kinds. In the Russian Empire, the term was the official title of the supreme military commanders of the Cossack armies. The Ukra ...

of the Ukrainian

Cossack The Cossacks are a predominantly East Slavic Eastern Christian people originating in the Pontic–Caspian steppe of eastern Ukraine and southern Russia. Cossacks played an important role in defending the southern borders of Ukraine and Rus ...

s, Hetman of the

Registered Cossacks Registered Cossacks (, ) comprised special Cossack units of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth army in the 16th and 17th centuries. Registered Cossacks became a military formation of the Commonwealth army beginning in 1572 soon after the ...

** Aleksander Wiśniowiecki (c. 1500–1555), starost of Rzeczyce, married Katarzyna Skoruta h. Korczak ***

Michał Wiśniowiecki Michał Wiśniowiecki (; died 1616) was a Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth szlachcic, prince at Wiśniowiec, magnate, son of Michał Wiśniowiecki (1529-1584), Michał Wiśniowiecki, grandfather of future Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth monarch, ...

(1529–1584), castellan of

and

Kiev Kyiv, also Kiev, is the capital and most populous List of cities in Ukraine, city of Ukraine. Located in the north-central part of the country, it straddles both sides of the Dnieper, Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2022, its population was 2, ...

, married Halszka Zenowiczówna h. Deszpot ****

(died 1616),

starost 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 ...

of Owrucz, married Regina Mohyła ***** Jeremi Wiśniowiecki (1612–1651), Prince at Wiśniowiec, Łubny and Chorol,

voivode of Ruthenia The Ruthenian Voivodeship (; ; ) was a voivodeship of the Crown of the Kingdom of Poland from 1434 until the First Partition of Poland in 1772, with its center in the city of Lwów (lat. Leopolis) (modern day Lviv). Together with a number of ot ...

, married Gryzelda Konstancja Zamoyska h. Jelita ******

(Michael I, 1640-1673),

1669–1673, married Eleanor of Austria, Queen of Poland ***** Anna Wiśniowiecka, married starost of

Lublin Lublin is List of cities and towns in Poland, the ninth-largest city in Poland and the second-largest city of historical Lesser Poland. It is the capital and the centre of Lublin Voivodeship with a population of 336,339 (December 2021). Lublin i ...

Zbigniew Firlej Zbigniew Firlej (c. 1613–1649), of Lewart coat of arms, was a szlachta, noble of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. Starost of Lublin. Son of Mikołaj Firlej (1588–1635), Mikołaj Firlej and Regina Oleśnicka. Married to Anna Wiśniowiecka, d ...

h. Lewart *** Aleksander Wisiowiecki (1543–1577), courtier, married Aleksandra Kapusta h. Kapusta **** Adam Wiśniowiecki (c. 1566–1622), married Aleksandra Chodkiewicz h. Kościesza, daughter of Hetman

Jan Hieronimowicz Chodkiewicz Jan Hieronimowicz Chodkiewicz (, ) ( – 4 August 1579) was a 16th-century Lithuanian noble. He was Grand Pantler of Lithuania from 1559, Elder of Samogitia (1564–1579), Governor of Livonia (1566–1578), Grand Marshal of Lithuania (1566 ...

h. Kościesza and Krystyna Zborowska h. Jastrzębiec

Gallery of estates

file:Вишневець. Палац 04.jpg, Vyshnivets Palace file:Zbarazh Castle Park3.jpg, Zbarazh Castle file:Ostroh Castle (Klymenko).jpg, Castle of Ostroh file:Dwór w Łodygowicach.jpg, Manor house in

Łodygowice Łodygowice is a village in Żywiec County, Silesian Voivodeship, in southern Poland. It is the seat of the gmina (administrative district) called Gmina Łodygowice. It lies approximately north-west of Żywiec and south of the regional capital K ...

file:Pałac Zbaraskich, Kraków.JPG, Zbarski Palace in

file:7 Warszawa 162.jpg, Palace of the Minister of the Treasury 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 ...

(rebuilt from the former Wiśniowiecki Palace) file:BialyKamienZamek.JPG, Ruins of the Castle of Biały Kamień File:Капл. Вишневецьких.JPG, Wisniowiecki Chapel ( Latin Cathedral in

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 ...

)

References

External links