Adam Kazanowski - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Adam Kazanowski was a noble

Nobility

Nobility is a social class which possesses more acknowledged privileges or eminence than members of most other classes in a society, membership therein typically being hereditary. The privileges associated with nobility may constitute substantial advantages over or relative to non-nobles, or may be...

of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth

Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth

The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth was a dualistic state of Poland and Lithuania ruled by a common monarch. It was the largest and one of the most populous countries of 16th- and 17th‑century Europe with some and a multi-ethnic population of 11 million at its peak in the early 17th century...

from 1633. Greater Crown Stolnik

Stolnik

Stolnik was a court office in Poland and Muscovy, responsible for serving the royal table.- Stolnik in Crown of Poland and Grand Duchy of Lithuania : In Crown of Poland under the first Piast dukes and kings, this was a court office....

from 1634, Court Chamberlain (podkomorzy koronny) and castellan

Castellan

A castellan was the governor or captain of a castle. The word stems from the Latin Castellanus, derived from castellum "castle". Also known as a constable.-Duties:...

of Sandomierz

Sandomierz

Sandomierz is a city in south-eastern Poland with 25,714 inhabitants . Situated in the Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship , previously in Tarnobrzeg Voivodeship . It is the capital of Sandomierz County . Sandomierz is known for its Old Town, a major tourist attraction...

from 1637, Court Marshall from 1643, żupnik of Wieliczka

Wieliczka

-External links:***...

from 1642, starosta

Starosta

Starost is a title for an official or unofficial position of leadership that has been used in various contexts through most of Slavic history. It can be translated as "elder"...

barcicki, borysowski, kozienicki, rumieński, solecki, nowotarski, warecki

Warka

Warka is a town in central Poland, located on the left bank of the Pilica river , with 11,035 inhabitants . It has been situated in Grójec County, in the Masovian Voivodeship, since 1999; previously it was in the Radom Voivodeship from 1975 to 1998.Warka obtained its city charter in 1321...

, bielski. Friend of king Władysław IV Waza. In 1634 married Elżbieta Słuszczanka (later Hieronimowa Radziejowska, when she married Hieronim Radziejowski

Hieronim Radziejowski

Hieronim Radziejowski was a Polish noble, politician and diplomat, father of Michał Stefan Radziejowski.He was starost of Sochaczew since 1643 and Deputy Chancellor of the Crown between 1650 and 1652...

), but he never had children.

Together with his brother, Stanisław Kazanowski (starost of Krosno, Jaworów and Przedbor), Adam was raised with crown prince

Crown Prince

A crown prince or crown princess is the heir or heiress apparent to the throne in a royal or imperial monarchy. The wife of a crown prince is also titled crown princess....

Władysław. He accompanied him during his attempt to become a Russia

Russia

Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...

n Tzar, in the Chocim war of 1621 and the 1620s European voyage. In 1631 he is the starost if Barcko. When Władysław became king in 1634, he was showered with gifts and new official titles. In 1634 he became the starost of Borysowo, and gained the rank of podstoli and soon after that, stolnik.

Kazanowski was viewed by many as a greedy, arrogant magnate and a 'bad influence' on the king, but he always remained close to Władysław. When Władysław's royal treasury ran dry once, Adam Kazanowski loaned him his money and mortgaged many of his goods, saying My liege, I cannot become poor when I am near to you, but I will not be rich without you. This friendship gave him enough political leverage to remain an important player in the Commonwealth politics. Privy to king's thoughts and secrets, organiser of many lavish parties and festivities, he was not interested in the 'great (foreign) politics', but he was a powerful player in the smaller court intrigues. He knew many secrets of the royal court, and could influence Władysław to be friendly or not towards various newcomers, envoys and other visitors to the court.

As a sign of friendship, Władysław bestowed many favours, positions and gifts to Kazanowski, who soon had his own palace

Kazanowski Palace

The Kazanowski Palace , also known as the Radziejowski Palace, was a large palace in Warsaw, occupying the place where the Charitable Center Res Sacra Miser stands today.-History:...

in Warsaw, the richest in Poland, and owned close to half of the Praga

Praga

Praga is a historical borough of Warsaw, the capital of Poland. It is located on the east bank of the river Vistula. First mentioned in 1432, until 1791 it formed a separate town with its own city charter.- History :...

district in the capital. A contemporary writer, after his death, wrote: Never has Poland seen so much wealth in a private hand of a single man. Those many favours, especially coupled with both Kazanowski and Władysław lavish spending, raised many protests from the Commonwealth parliament, the Sejm

Sejm

The Sejm is the lower house of the Polish parliament. The Sejm is made up of 460 deputies, or Poseł in Polish . It is elected by universal ballot and is presided over by a speaker called the Marshal of the Sejm ....

. They had, however, little effect on both Kazanowski and Władysław.

His influence did diminish after 1637, when Władysław married Habsburg

Habsburg

The House of Habsburg , also found as Hapsburg, and also known as House of Austria is one of the most important royal houses of Europe and is best known for being an origin of all of the formally elected Holy Roman Emperors between 1438 and 1740, as well as rulers of the Austrian Empire and...

Archduchess Cecilia Renata of Austria

Cecilia Renata of Austria

Archduchess Cecilia Renata of Austria was Queen of Poland as consort to the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth's King Władysław IV Vasa.-Biography:...

. After that, Kazanowski became an enemy of the queen and other Habsburg supporters, like Jerzy Ossoliński

Jerzy Ossolinski

Prince Jerzy Ossoliński was a Polish szlachcic, Crown Court Treasurer from 1632, voivode of Sandomierz from 1636, Reichsfürst since 1634, Crown Deputy Chancellor from 1639, Great Crown Chancellor from 1643, starost of Bydgoszcz , Lubomel , Puck and Bolim , magnate, politician and diplomat...

, and allied himself with Piotr Gembicki

Piotr Gembicki

Piotr Gembicki , Deputy Crown Chancellor and Bishop of Przemyśl from 1635, Great Crown Chancellor from 1638, Bishop of Kraków from 1642 in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth.-Biography:...

(chancellor until 1642).

Kazanowski died in 1649 and was buried in St. John's Cathedral in Warsaw.

External links

internautica.pl Portrait of Adam Kazanowski in red żupan

Zupan

Żupan was a long garment, always lined, worn by almost all males of the noble social class in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, typical male attire from the beginning of the 16th to half of the 18th century, still surviving as a part of the Polishnational dress.- Derivation :The name żupan has...

by Peter Danckerts de Rij

Peter Danckerts de Rij

Pieter, Peeter, or Peter Danckerts de Rij, Dankers de Ry, or Peteris Dankersas was a Dutch Golden Age painter.-Biography:...

(display at Wawel Castle

Wawel Castle

The Gothic Wawel Castle in Kraków in Poland was built at the behest of Casimir III the Great and consists of a number of structures situated around the central courtyard. In the 14th century it was rebuilt by Jogaila and Jadwiga of Poland. Their reign saw the addition of the tower called the Hen's...

)

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