Sapieha
 |
The family coat of arms was: Lis. |
The
Sapieha (
Belarusian:
Сапега;
Lithuanian Sapiega) is a
Polish-
Lithuanian princely family descending from medieval
boyars of
Smolensk.
[Vernadsky, George. A History of Russia. New Haven. Connecticut: Yale University Press. 1961. online] Family acquired great influence in the
16th century.
The creator of fortune and power of the Sapieha family was Court and Great
Chancellor and Great
Hetman of Lithuania
Lew Sapieha, a powerful
magnate.
On
September 14,
1700 Michal Franciszek Sapieha obtained the title of
Prince from Emperor
Leopold I. The title became extinct upon his death on
November 19,
1700. In
1768 members of the Sapieha family obtained recognition of the princely title from the Polish
Sejm. After the
partitions of Poland, the family appeared in the list of persons authorised to bear the title of Prince of the
Kingdom of Poland in
1824. The title was recognised in
Austria in
1836 and
1840, and in
Russia in
1874 and
1901. In
1905 the family obtained the qualification of Serene Highness in Austria.
The Sapieha family used the "
Lis" arms and their motto was: ?
*
Lew Sapieha (
1557-
1633),
Court Chancellor and
Great Hetman of Lithuania*
Kazimierz Lew Sapieha (
1609-
1656), Marshal of the Crown, son of Lew Sapieha
*
Jan Kazimierz Sapieha the Younger, (ca.
1642â€"
1720), Field Hetman
*
Michal Franciszek Sapieha (
1670-
1700), General,
Koniuszy*
Jan Kazimierz Sapieha the Elder (?â€"
1730), Grand Hetman of Lithuania
*
Jan Fryderyk Sapieha (
1680â€"
1751), Grand Recorder of Lithuania
*
Teresa Sapieha (?-c.
1784), was married to
Hieronim Florian Radziwill and
Joachim Karol Potocki*
Kazimierz Nestor Sapieha (
1757-
1798), political activist, General
*
Anna Zofia Sapieha (
1799-
1864), was married to
Adam Jerzy Czartoryski*
Leon Sapieha (
1803-
1878), political and economic activist
*
Adam Stefan Cardinal Sapieha (
1867-
1951), Archbishop of
Krakow, Cardinal
