Gallery IV

unknown artist 

2nd half of the 19th century 

The collection of Maciej Radziwiłł 

 

Mikołaj Krzysztof Radziwiłł, also known as the Orphan, was born in 1549. He was the son of Mikołaj the Black, Grand Chancellor of Lithuania and Voivode of Vilnius. 

According to the story, he was dubbed the Orphan after he was found crying in one of the chambers of Wawel Castle as a young boy. The king, who was passing by, noticed him and asked: “Who is that orphan crying here?” The nickname stuck to the young Chancellor's son and accompanied him for the rest of his life. 

The future Vilnius voivode stood out among his contemporaries. He received education in Leipzig, Tübingen and Strasbourg. 

Between 1582 and 1584, he travelled to the Holy Land. A couple of years later, around 1590-1591, he wrote an account of the pilgrimage, based on loose notes made during the journey. The great interest in the diary prompted him to publish it in print. He decided to publish it in Latin (1601). The Latin translation was later translated to Polish, and it was first published in Krakow in 1607 under the title Peregrynacja abo pielgrzymowanie, do Ziemi Swiętej J.0. Pana Mikołaja Krzysztofa Radziwiłła. 

In addition, Mikołaj Krzysztof Radziwiłł built and fortified the castle in Nesvizh, and built the Corpus Christi church for the Jesuits. He founded monasteries, built roads and hospitals, focused on philanthropic activities and supported poor students. He was the founder of the Jesuit college in Nesvizh.