Piotr Gembicki
Encyclopedia
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.
family of Nałęcz coat of arms, began his ecclasiastical career early and attended academies abroad. Later he became the secretary of king Sigismund III Vasa
and regent of the Crown's Chancery. After Zygmunt's son, Wladyslaw IV Waza, succeeded to the Polish throne in 1632, Gembicki led the diplomatic mission
to Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor
. In 1635 he took part in the negotiations with Muscovy following the Smolensk War
. In December 1635 he became the Deputy Crown Chancellor and Bishop of Przemyśl. Since then, his influence and wealth grew, and in 1638 he became the Great Crown Chancellor.
He was a supporter of Habsburgs, which earned him a nickname covert Spaniard, and an opponent of the pro-French faction. He advocated tightening Polish control over the Commonwealth vassal, prince-elector
of the Duchy of Prussia. Fighting for power and influence with magnate
Jerzy Ossoliński
, he became an ally of Adam Kazanowski
and opponent of queen Cecylia Renata
. In 1642 he lost the political battle and retired from court politics to the see of Bishop of Cracow, passing the chancery to Ossoliński. Since then, he focused mostly on religious matters, coming back into politics only in 1646 with his vocal opposition of Władysław's planned campaign against the Ottoman Empire
.
Viewed by szlachta
as a prideful and greedy, he supported the position of the Commonwealth king over orders from distant Rome when disputes arose between those two powers. He disliked the Jesuits and often sent complains about their actions destabilising the fragile religious tolerance in the Commonwealth.
Chancellor
Chancellor is the title of various official positions in the governments of many nations. The original chancellors were the Cancellarii of Roman courts of justice—ushers who sat at the cancelli or lattice work screens of a basilica or law court, which separated the judge and counsel from the...
and Bishop of Przemyśl from 1635, Great Crown Chancellor from 1638, Bishop of Kraków from 1642 in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth.
Biography
Piotr Gembicki born into a szlachtaSzlachta
The szlachta was a legally privileged noble class with origins in the Kingdom of Poland. It gained considerable institutional privileges during the 1333-1370 reign of Casimir the Great. In 1413, following a series of tentative personal unions between the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Kingdom of...
family of Nałęcz coat of arms, began his ecclasiastical career early and attended academies abroad. Later he became the secretary of king Sigismund III Vasa
Sigismund III Vasa
Sigismund III Vasa was King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania, a monarch of the united Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth from 1587 to 1632, and King of Sweden from 1592 until he was deposed in 1599...
and regent of the Crown's Chancery. After Zygmunt's son, Wladyslaw IV Waza, succeeded to the Polish throne in 1632, Gembicki led the diplomatic mission
Diplomatic mission
A diplomatic mission is a group of people from one state or an international inter-governmental organisation present in another state to represent the sending state/organisation in the receiving state...
to Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor
Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor
Ferdinand II , a member of the House of Habsburg, was Holy Roman Emperor , King of Bohemia , and King of Hungary . His rule coincided with the Thirty Years' War.- Life :...
. In 1635 he took part in the negotiations with Muscovy following the Smolensk War
Smolensk War
The Smolensk War was a conflict fought between the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and Russia.Hostilities began in October 1632 when Tsar forces tried to recapture the city of Smolensk, a former Russian possession. Small military engagements produced mixed results for both sides, but the surrender...
. In December 1635 he became the Deputy Crown Chancellor and Bishop of Przemyśl. Since then, his influence and wealth grew, and in 1638 he became the Great Crown Chancellor.
He was a supporter of Habsburgs, which earned him a nickname covert Spaniard, and an opponent of the pro-French faction. He advocated tightening Polish control over the Commonwealth vassal, prince-elector
Prince-elector
The Prince-electors of the Holy Roman Empire were the members of the electoral college of the Holy Roman Empire, having the function of electing the Roman king or, from the middle of the 16th century onwards, directly the Holy Roman Emperor.The heir-apparent to a prince-elector was known as an...
of the Duchy of Prussia. Fighting for power and influence with magnate
Magnate
Magnate, from the Late Latin magnas, a great man, itself from Latin magnus 'great', designates a noble or other man in a high social position, by birth, wealth or other qualities...
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...
, he became an ally of Adam Kazanowski
Adam Kazanowski
Adam Kazanowski was a noble of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth from 1633. Greater Crown Stolnik from 1634, Court Chamberlain and castellan of Sandomierz from 1637, Court Marshall from 1643, żupnik of Wieliczka from 1642, starosta barcicki, borysowski, kozienicki, rumieński, solecki,...
and opponent of queen Cecylia Renata
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:...
. In 1642 he lost the political battle and retired from court politics to the see of Bishop of Cracow, passing the chancery to Ossoliński. Since then, he focused mostly on religious matters, coming back into politics only in 1646 with his vocal opposition of Władysław's planned campaign against the Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
.
Viewed by szlachta
Szlachta
The szlachta was a legally privileged noble class with origins in the Kingdom of Poland. It gained considerable institutional privileges during the 1333-1370 reign of Casimir the Great. In 1413, following a series of tentative personal unions between the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Kingdom of...
as a prideful and greedy, he supported the position of the Commonwealth king over orders from distant Rome when disputes arose between those two powers. He disliked the Jesuits and often sent complains about their actions destabilising the fragile religious tolerance in the Commonwealth.