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The Lubomirskis

Of the several generations of Lubomirskis who ruled Lancut, the first and the last of them were the ones who left the greatest mark on the castle's appearance. By a strange coincidence they were both named Stanislaw. The first Stanislaw (1583-1649) made Lancut into a fortress. His son Jerzy Sebastian (1616-1667) received King Jan Kazimierz here in January 1656.

He was a fervent supporter of the king at that time, and one of the leaders of the confederation against the Swedish invaders.

This did not prevent him from conspiring with enemies of the king a few years later, which ended in civil war and the battle of Matwy in 1666. It is worth mentioning another of the line of Lancut lords, Stanislaw Herakliusz (1642-1702), a poet, prose writer and playwright, who wrote in Polish, Latin and Italian and was privy to the mysteries of astrology and cabala.

In 1745 the other Stanislaw (1719-1783) took over the castle. Eight years later he married Elzbieta Anna Teofila Czartoryska (1736-1816). Their tenure was a true Golden Age for Lancut, not only because they completely reconstructed the palace and adorned it with splendid works of art, but also because they redoubled the cultural and social activities of the Lubomirski family. Three times a week there were castle concerts by a chamber ensemble of five, led by a student of Joseph Haydn, conductor Peter Haensel. Among the works they performed were pieces by the Lubomirskis' court composer, Marcello Bernardini. The palace stage was enlivened just as often. Here the pre-premier of Jan Potocki's Parade took place. The theater inventory of 1805 lists, besides numerous decorations, 146 costumes.

Among the many guests who visited Lancut were a large number of fugitives from France who found refuge here after the Great Revolution. Among them were Marie Antoinette's confessor, Bishop Louis Hector Honore de Sabran, Louis Comte de Provence (later King Louis XVIII), Louis Antoine Duc de Bourbon and his wife Marie Therese, Queen Carolina of Sicily and the writer Germaine de Stael. Tadeusz Kosciuszko was an invited guest at Lancut Castle in 1792.