A typology of the Sapieha sacral foundations in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania at the turn of the XVII century

In the Sapieha family it was its main representative – Lew Sapieha, who was not only a recognized political activist but also a renowned founder. He founded numerous sacral objects – among them: parish churches, religious congregations, schools, hospitals and the Mass foundations. A conspicuous part of the founded objects was built on the Sapieha land. Lew Sapieha – originally a member of the Orthodox Church, then a Protestant and finally a Catholic – as a convert, was profoundly involved in the Catholic and Unite Churches activities. Jan Stanisław Sapieha, Great Lithuanian Marshal, could not boast similar achievements. Despite having a large estate, which became even bigger after his marriage with Anna Scholastyka Chodkiewicz, the number of his foundations is not big. It was Lew Sapieha’s youngest son – Kazimierz Leon, who continued his father activity. Yet, it is to be stated that he focused on finishing his father’s foundations rather than creating his own ones. This weak engagement of Lew Sapieha’s sons in social activities resulted form several factors, such as health problems (in the case of Jan Stanisław). It is not to be neglected that Lew Sapieha’s sons were born as Catholics, and thus, did not have to prove they belonged to this denomination. Moreover, unlike their father, they were not bound to painstakingly build their careers and prestige. The rich typology of the Sapieha sacral foundations reflects the family’s great input into foundational activities in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania.Wydział Historyczno-Socjologiczny, Uniwersytet w Białymstok