Pielgrzymki Radziwiłłów w XVI i XVII wieku

Pilgrimages of the Radziwiłłs in the 16th and the 17th Centuries

Summary: Religion was important in the life of Polish magnates. Albrycht Stanisław Radziwiłł (1593-1656) may serve as an example in this respect. He expressed his religious devotion through pious foundations and his works. Radziwiłł’s religious works embraced translations of works by ascetics and the lives of the saints from Latin, as well as his works devoted to Marian Devotion and meditations on the Lord’s Passion. Other religious activities of Albrycht Radziwiłl were pilgrimages to places famous for miraculous icons of Our Lady, including, first and foremost, Częstochowa and Kalwaria Zebrzydowska. He also travelled to the holy places in Italy. More than a century before Wojciech Radziwiłł (1476-1519), the Bishop of Łuck, and later of Vilnus, also visted Rome.
The best known pilgrim from the Radziwiłł family was Mikołaj Krzysztof "Sierotka" ("Orphan"; 1549-1616). He set off on a journey to Middle East (1582-1584) as a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. He was the author of a diary of his pilgrimage, written in Polish ca 1590. This work has had great influence on Polish memoir writings.
Pilgrimages were also made by other Radziwiłłs. The itineraries of their journeys encompass the Holy Land, Spain, Germany and numerous sanctuaries in Italy. In Poland, they most frequently visited Częstochowa, Święty Krzyż, Kalwaria Zebrzydowska and the sanctuaries in the Borderland Regions of the Republic.

Peregrinus Cracoviensis, 2004, z.15, s. 65-74.

Instytut Geografii i Gospodarki Przestrzennej UJ

ISSN 1425-1922

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