Travels of Polish Aristocratic Women in the Veneto Region in the Age of Enlightenment
Author(s)
Małgorzata Ewa Kowalczyk
Dorota Żołądź-Strzelczyk
Date Issued
2023
Type
article
Volume
6
Start Page
123
End Page
140
Journal
Abstract
The heyday of the Polish Enlightenment brought women from the circles of the magnates and wealthy nobility considerable emancipation in matters of travel. Educated noblewomen wanted to go beyond traditional social functions and realise themselves in the public sphere. Th ey began to manage estates and manage family interests, followed the press and literature, established social salons, became involved in political and diplomatic life, mentored artists and scientists, created collections, founded churches, built mansions and increasingly travelled the world. During the Enlightenment, one of the most popular destinations for foreign travel was Italy, one of their destinations being the Veneto. Th is article analyses the records of journeys to this region by three Polish aristocrats: Anna Paulina née Sapieha Jabłonowska, Teofila Konstancja née Radziwiłł Morawska, and Katarzyna
née Sosnowski Platerowa. Their accounts show not only what they saw there, but also how they recounted the observations. It can be seen that they were excellent observers, formed independent judgements. In the pages of their accounts, one can find descriptions of daily life on the road, social life, customs and mentality of the inhabitants of the Veneto region, their entertainments, homes or cuisine.
Subjects
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EEHR 6-2023 Kowalczyk-Żołądź-Strzelczyk.pdf
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Format
Adobe PDF
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