DOI article:
Kaźmierczak, Jerzy: "Wart Pac pałaca..." Zamek w Dowspudzie - nostalgiczny pomnik dawnej Litwy złączonej z Koroną
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.13597#0275
„WART PAC PAŁACA.
271
Kingdom of Poland). Though still dependent on Russia and having the Czar as its king, it enjoyed a certain amount of autonomy,
and it had certain possibilities of developing Polish national life, while the majority of Lithuanian territories were directly
incorporated to Russia. As a Polish-Lithuanian patriot, the count chose Dowspuda as his seat, situated both on the former
Lithuanian territory and now belonging to the country where the possibilities of continuing the traditions of the Polish-Lithuanian
state from before the partitions were the largest. After ail, whether inhabitants of the former Grand Duchy or of the Crown they
conceived the eventual restoration of the Polish state in its form from before the partitions, i.e. in the form of a union between the
Crown and Lithuania. The union, in the common conviction, was the source of prosperity and strength; when it was established
(1386), an epoch of the state's grandeur started. "Désormais la Pologne et la Lithuanie ne formeront plus qu'un même peuple [...]
Dieu les a unis [...] Il n'y a pas de liberté, d'indépendence nationale possible sans une fusion complète" — here is an opinion of his
days, and the count shared it. His castle, after the unsuccessful attempt to renew the fusion of Poland and Lithuania in Napoleon's
time, and on the "remaining" fragment of the former Lithuanian Duchy, was to represent that Lithuania as it had been, to evoke it,
to emphasize its "natural" links with the Crown, and to constitute a monument glorifying the history of that "holy" community.
AH thèse interiors, as well as the exterior cloak of the building — the whole commemorating both the historical family and
national history — were stylized as "Gothic", while a part of other interiors was given classicist forms. That was the way the rooms
intended to contain collections looked. Pictures, "i pregiatissimi quadri", from the most famous European schools were kept in the
Gallery; The "Corinthian Room" contained "plusieurs bas-reliefs copiés de Canova, [...] divers bustes, [...] plusieurs tables de
marbre antique"; one of the cellar interiors (decorated a simile délie Terme di Tito) intended to imitate the Thermae of Titus, and,
moreover, a statue of Venus ("d'après celle de Canova") was displayed in the centre, just as in another interior, the Bathroom, where
un groupe de Vénus et l'Amour stood.
In keeping with the tradition, such a stylization of the interiors designed to include artistic collections, conformed with their
function. One of the functions of a résidence being to demonstrate the culture as well as the position of its owner, the éléments of the
classic architecture and décoration were looked upon favourably. It seems, however, that the classic stylization of many rooms at
Dowspuda, as well as of the count's whole palace at Warsaw, intended to go together with the legendary origin of the owner's
family: bearing a name of Lithuanian origin, the Рас family preferred to trace its ancestry back to the médiéval Italy or rather to the
ancient Rome, and to dérive it from the Italian family of Pazzi (both of thèse names sound similar). The castle library — and the
library usually constituted a personal sanctum of its owner — was de style étrusque: perhaps it was to evoke associations with the
pretended Tuscan genesis of the Рас family. The Italian artists had edified and decorated the castle (at that time of Gothic revival,
the English forms were almost the only choice; during his English visits, the count had, anyway, appreciated the importance of
"Gothic" résidence for evoking associations); as his more ancient ancestors, including the hetman, had also done, the count
considered employing Italian spécialiste to be his duty, not only to the great Art, but also to his imaginary Italian origins too. While
the Gothic forms of his résidence symbolized the history of both the family and the nation, the classical forms of some interiors was
to correspond with the ancient and legendary past of the family.
Constructing such a monument of the grandeur of both his country and his family, the count seemed to be influenced by the
situation of both the Polish nation and his family of which he was already the last remainder, as well as of his position, of an eminent
Polish magnate. Such a foundation of that national monument must be seen as a resuit of the count's position; the same position
obliged him to remember his own family, and the monument received numerous features glorifying "cette famille qui depuis près de
quatre siècles a laissé tant d'éclat et de gloire dans les annales de Pologne", as well as its merits for the nation. One of the other
opinions about Count Рас revealed that he erected his résidences (the seats at Dowspuda and Warsaw) "convinced of the necessity
of retaining historie traditions in both the national history and the family mémentos"; he did it more so that "already in his
childhood, unshaken and unlimited love of his country, consciousness resting haevily on every citizen of a grand nation, and mainly
on people having in it an outstanding historie and wealthy social status, and an obligation — often not easy — to retain with dignity
the héritage of the name meritorious in his country, were instilled in his mind and his heart".
Doing it, the count also took into considération the words of King John Casimir regarding Chancellor Pac: appreciating the
chancellor, his close collaborator, and acknowledging the splendour of the chancellor's sumptuous résidence at Jezno, the king
thought "Pac worthy of his palace, and the palace worthy of Pac" (maybe, it was the matter of regaining Jezno occupied by the
Russians).
This royal witticism which later became proverbial (it can be explained as "there is nothing to choose between them") was for
the count a precious memento of the splendid family past. He interpreted it in the followig terms: "Through their merits for the
Country, the gentry had rightly merited their great property and houses, and, moreover, the houses, with their vastness and richness,
corresponded to thèse merits".
It is the best key to understand the splendour of this résidence which is a nostalgie monument to the past: the "palace" revealed
itself worthy of its owner, and it corresponded not only to the count's social status, his traditions and his fortune, but also to his
quality of a great patriot, showing concern for the memory of the happier time of the Polish-Lithuanian union.
271
Kingdom of Poland). Though still dependent on Russia and having the Czar as its king, it enjoyed a certain amount of autonomy,
and it had certain possibilities of developing Polish national life, while the majority of Lithuanian territories were directly
incorporated to Russia. As a Polish-Lithuanian patriot, the count chose Dowspuda as his seat, situated both on the former
Lithuanian territory and now belonging to the country where the possibilities of continuing the traditions of the Polish-Lithuanian
state from before the partitions were the largest. After ail, whether inhabitants of the former Grand Duchy or of the Crown they
conceived the eventual restoration of the Polish state in its form from before the partitions, i.e. in the form of a union between the
Crown and Lithuania. The union, in the common conviction, was the source of prosperity and strength; when it was established
(1386), an epoch of the state's grandeur started. "Désormais la Pologne et la Lithuanie ne formeront plus qu'un même peuple [...]
Dieu les a unis [...] Il n'y a pas de liberté, d'indépendence nationale possible sans une fusion complète" — here is an opinion of his
days, and the count shared it. His castle, after the unsuccessful attempt to renew the fusion of Poland and Lithuania in Napoleon's
time, and on the "remaining" fragment of the former Lithuanian Duchy, was to represent that Lithuania as it had been, to evoke it,
to emphasize its "natural" links with the Crown, and to constitute a monument glorifying the history of that "holy" community.
AH thèse interiors, as well as the exterior cloak of the building — the whole commemorating both the historical family and
national history — were stylized as "Gothic", while a part of other interiors was given classicist forms. That was the way the rooms
intended to contain collections looked. Pictures, "i pregiatissimi quadri", from the most famous European schools were kept in the
Gallery; The "Corinthian Room" contained "plusieurs bas-reliefs copiés de Canova, [...] divers bustes, [...] plusieurs tables de
marbre antique"; one of the cellar interiors (decorated a simile délie Terme di Tito) intended to imitate the Thermae of Titus, and,
moreover, a statue of Venus ("d'après celle de Canova") was displayed in the centre, just as in another interior, the Bathroom, where
un groupe de Vénus et l'Amour stood.
In keeping with the tradition, such a stylization of the interiors designed to include artistic collections, conformed with their
function. One of the functions of a résidence being to demonstrate the culture as well as the position of its owner, the éléments of the
classic architecture and décoration were looked upon favourably. It seems, however, that the classic stylization of many rooms at
Dowspuda, as well as of the count's whole palace at Warsaw, intended to go together with the legendary origin of the owner's
family: bearing a name of Lithuanian origin, the Рас family preferred to trace its ancestry back to the médiéval Italy or rather to the
ancient Rome, and to dérive it from the Italian family of Pazzi (both of thèse names sound similar). The castle library — and the
library usually constituted a personal sanctum of its owner — was de style étrusque: perhaps it was to evoke associations with the
pretended Tuscan genesis of the Рас family. The Italian artists had edified and decorated the castle (at that time of Gothic revival,
the English forms were almost the only choice; during his English visits, the count had, anyway, appreciated the importance of
"Gothic" résidence for evoking associations); as his more ancient ancestors, including the hetman, had also done, the count
considered employing Italian spécialiste to be his duty, not only to the great Art, but also to his imaginary Italian origins too. While
the Gothic forms of his résidence symbolized the history of both the family and the nation, the classical forms of some interiors was
to correspond with the ancient and legendary past of the family.
Constructing such a monument of the grandeur of both his country and his family, the count seemed to be influenced by the
situation of both the Polish nation and his family of which he was already the last remainder, as well as of his position, of an eminent
Polish magnate. Such a foundation of that national monument must be seen as a resuit of the count's position; the same position
obliged him to remember his own family, and the monument received numerous features glorifying "cette famille qui depuis près de
quatre siècles a laissé tant d'éclat et de gloire dans les annales de Pologne", as well as its merits for the nation. One of the other
opinions about Count Рас revealed that he erected his résidences (the seats at Dowspuda and Warsaw) "convinced of the necessity
of retaining historie traditions in both the national history and the family mémentos"; he did it more so that "already in his
childhood, unshaken and unlimited love of his country, consciousness resting haevily on every citizen of a grand nation, and mainly
on people having in it an outstanding historie and wealthy social status, and an obligation — often not easy — to retain with dignity
the héritage of the name meritorious in his country, were instilled in his mind and his heart".
Doing it, the count also took into considération the words of King John Casimir regarding Chancellor Pac: appreciating the
chancellor, his close collaborator, and acknowledging the splendour of the chancellor's sumptuous résidence at Jezno, the king
thought "Pac worthy of his palace, and the palace worthy of Pac" (maybe, it was the matter of regaining Jezno occupied by the
Russians).
This royal witticism which later became proverbial (it can be explained as "there is nothing to choose between them") was for
the count a precious memento of the splendid family past. He interpreted it in the followig terms: "Through their merits for the
Country, the gentry had rightly merited their great property and houses, and, moreover, the houses, with their vastness and richness,
corresponded to thèse merits".
It is the best key to understand the splendour of this résidence which is a nostalgie monument to the past: the "palace" revealed
itself worthy of its owner, and it corresponded not only to the count's social status, his traditions and his fortune, but also to his
quality of a great patriot, showing concern for the memory of the happier time of the Polish-Lithuanian union.