Scipione Piattoli: Difference between revisions
Importing Wikidata short description: "Italian Catholic priest" (Shortdesc helper) |
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{{Short description|Italian Catholic priest}} |
{{Short description|Italian Catholic priest (1749–1809)}} |
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{{Good article}} |
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{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2024}} |
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{{Infobox person |
{{Infobox person |
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| name = Scipione Piattoli |
| name = Scipione Piattoli |
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| image = Scipione Piattoli.PNG |
| image = Scipione Piattoli.PNG |
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| alt = Scipione Piattoli |
| alt = Scipione Piattoli |
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| caption = |
| caption = Portrait by [[Marcello Bacciarelli]] |
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| birth_name = |
| birth_name = |
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| birth_date = {{Birth date|1749|11|10}} |
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1749|11|10|df=y}} |
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| birth_place = [[Florence]], [[Grand Duchy of Tuscany]] |
| birth_place = [[Florence]], [[Grand Duchy of Tuscany]] |
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| death_date = {{Death date and age|1809|04|12|1739|11|10}} |
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1809|04|12|1739|11|10|df=y}} |
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| death_place = [[Altenburg]], [[ |
| death_place = [[Altenburg]], [[Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg]], Rhine Confederation |
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| nationality = Italian |
| nationality = Italian |
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| other_names = Urban |
| other_names = Urban |
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| known_for = |
| known_for = Co-drafting the [[Constitution of 3 May 1791]] |
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| occupation = {{Flatlist| |
| occupation = {{Flatlist| |
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* Priest |
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* educator |
* educator |
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* writer |
* writer |
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'''Scipione Piattoli''' ({{IPA |
'''Scipione Piattoli''' ({{IPA|it|ʃiˈpjoːne ˈpjattoli}}; 10 November 1749 – 12 April 1809) was an Italian [[Catholic priest]]—a [[Piarist]]—an educator, writer, and political activist, and a major figure of the [[Enlightenment in Poland]]. After ten years as a professor at the [[University of Modena]] in Italy, he emigrated to the [[Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth]], where he became associated with several [[magnate]] families—the [[Potocki]]s, [[Lubomirski]]s, and [[Czartoryski]]s. He was a member of Duchess [[Dorothea von Medem]]'s court in [[Courland]] (Lithuania) and of King [[Stanisław August Poniatowski]]'s court. |
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Piattoli was politically active in [[Warsaw]] during and after the [[Four-Year Sejm]] ( |
Piattoli was politically active in [[Warsaw]] during and after the [[Four-Year Sejm]] (1788–1792). He served as intermediary between the reformist [[Patriotic Party]] and King Stanisław August Poniatowski, and as an aide to the King (1789–1793). He is best remembered for his participation in drafting the [[Constitution of 3 May 1791]], a milestone in the history of Polish political legislation. He was an organizer of the 1794 [[Kościuszko Insurrection]] against Russian influence, which was the last armed struggle held under the banners of the Commonwealth. After the [[Third Partition of Poland]] (1795), Piattoli was interned by the Austrians for several years, together with another Polish activist of the Constitution movement, [[Hugo Kołłątaj]]. Freed in 1800, he worked several years with Polish and Russian statesman Prince [[Adam Jerzy Czartoryski]] in the service of [[Tsardom of Russia|Russia]], before retiring to Courland. |
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Piattoli was an inspiration to [[Leo Tolstoy]], who based the figure of Abbé Morio in ''[[War and Peace]]'' (1869) on him. He is also one of the figures immortalized in [[Jan Matejko]]'s 1891 painting, ''[[Constitution of May |
Piattoli was an inspiration to [[Leo Tolstoy]], who based the figure of Abbé Morio in ''[[War and Peace]]'' (1869) on him. He is also one of the figures immortalized in [[Jan Matejko]]'s 1891 painting, ''[[Constitution of 3 May 1791 (painting)|Constitution of 3 May 1791]].'' In his 1980 ten-page entry on Piattoli in the ''[[Polish Biographical Dictionary]]'', historian [[Emanuel Rostworowski]] notes that, "despite two Italian monographs (by A.D. Ancon and G. Bozzolato)", Piattoli still awaits a definitive biography. |
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==Early life== |
==Early life== |
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Scipione Piattoli was born in [[Florence]] on |
Scipione Piattoli was born in [[Florence]] on 10 November 1749 to a family of painters (father, [[Gaetano Piattoli]]; mother, [[Anna Bacherini Piattoli]]; brother, [[Giuseppe Piattoli]]).<ref name=psb818/> |
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In 1763 he joined the [[Piarist]] order, taking the name Urban.<ref name=psb818/> Some historians have questioned whether he ever took [[Holy Orders]]; in any case he was known for a rather secular lifestyle.<ref name=psb818/><ref name="Głębocki2006"/> He taught [[rhetoric]] in Piarist schools in [[Massa]] and [[Correggio, Emilia-Romagna|Corregio]], and got his [[doctorate]] from the [[University of Florence]].<ref name=psb818/> From 1772 to 1782 he was a professor at the [[University of Modena]], teaching [[religious history]] and [[Greek language|Greek]].<ref name=WIEM/> Soon he became involved in political activism, and in 1774 he published (anonymously) a brochure titled ''Saggio intorno al luogo del seppellire'', which focused on the issue of hygiene and burials near churches.<ref name=psb818/> Also in 1774 he received permission to leave the Piarists, and resumed using the name Scipione.<ref name=psb818/> He would, however, keep and use the title of "the priest" (''l'abbé'') for most of his life.<ref name=psb818/> By the turn of the decade, Piattoli found himself in a faction that was losing in the politics of Modena, and decided to move, giving up his professorship in 1782.<ref name=psb818/> |
In 1763 he joined the [[Piarist]] order, taking the name Urban.<ref name=psb818/> Some historians have questioned whether he ever took [[Holy Orders]]; in any case he was known for a rather secular lifestyle.<ref name=psb818/><ref name="Głębocki2006"/> He taught [[rhetoric]] in Piarist schools in [[Massa, Tuscany|Massa]] and [[Correggio, Emilia-Romagna|Corregio]], and got his [[doctorate]] from the [[University of Florence]].<ref name=psb818/> From 1772 to 1782 he was a professor at the [[University of Modena]], teaching [[religious history]] and [[Greek language|Greek]].<ref name=WIEM/> Soon he became involved in political activism, and in 1774 he published (anonymously) a brochure titled ''Saggio intorno al luogo del seppellire'', which focused on the issue of hygiene and burials near churches.<ref name=psb818/> Also in 1774 he received permission to leave the Piarists, and resumed using the name Scipione.<ref name=psb818/> He would, however, keep and use the title of "the priest" (''l'abbé'') for most of his life.<ref name=psb818/> By the turn of the decade, Piattoli found himself in a faction that was losing in the politics of Modena, and decided to move, giving up his professorship in 1782.<ref name=psb818/> |
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Piattoli arrived in the [[Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth]] that year, as a tutor for the sons of [[Piotr Potocki]]<!--Piotr Franciszek Potocki?-->, a member of the magnate [[Potocki family]].<ref name=psb818/> It was said in a contemporary account that his entire material wealth at that time was composed of a |
Piattoli arrived in the [[Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth]] that year, as a tutor for the sons of [[Piotr Potocki]]<!--Piotr Franciszek Potocki?-->, a member of the magnate [[Potocki family]].<ref name=psb818/> It was said in a contemporary account that his entire material wealth at that time was composed of a "sizable library".<ref name=psb818/> Piattoli ended his service with the [[Potocki]] family around 1784 due to personal disagreements with [[Pelagia Potocka]] and [[Maria Radziwiłł]].<ref name=psb819/> In the meantime, he became associated with the [[Lubomirski]] family—[[Elżbieta Czartoryska (1736–1816)|Izabela Lubomirska]] in particular—and through them befriended [[Stanisław Kostka Potocki]] and [[Grzegorz Piramowicz]].<ref name=psb819/> Through Potocki and Piramowicz he became a member of the [[Society for Elementary Books]] in 1784.<ref name=psb819/> In the Society he was tasked with writing a textbook on the [[history of science]].<ref name=psb819/> Around that time he was also active in Warsaw [[freemasonry]].<ref name=psb819/> |
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Piattoli traveled through Europe in the retinue of the Lubomirski family, including Izabela, and as a tutor of young [[Henryk Lubomirski]].<ref name=psb819/> During that time he developed extensive contacts at various European courts in [[Courland]]<!--([[Karlsbad]])?-->, Austria ([[Vienna]]), Italy ([[Turin]]) and France ([[Paris]]).<ref name=WIEM/><ref name=psb819/> During his three-year stay in the Lubomirskis' Parisian residence, he was in touch with many important men of the [[Age of Enlightenment]].<ref name=psb819/> He met—often through another Florentinian, [[Filippo Mazzei]]—[[Johann Wolfgang von Goethe]], [[Thomas Jefferson]], the [[Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette|Marquis de Lafayette]], [[Luigi Landriani]], [[Girolamo Lucchesini]], and the [[Marquis de Condorcet]].<ref name=psb819/> He also corresponded with [[J. G. Herder]].<ref name=psb819/> In Poland, he developed close contacts with [[Ignacy Potocki]] and [[Julian Ursyn Niemcewicz]]a.<ref name=psb819/> From 1787 he also tutored [[Adam Jerzy Czartoryski]], later an important politician in the [[Russian Empire]], on whom Piattoli would retain significant influence.<ref name=psb819/><ref name="Riasanovsky1970"/> |
Piattoli traveled through Europe in the retinue of the Lubomirski family, including Izabela, and as a tutor of young [[Henryk Lubomirski]].<ref name=psb819/> During that time he developed extensive contacts at various European courts in [[Courland]]<!--([[Karlsbad]])?-->, Austria ([[Vienna]]), Italy ([[Turin]]) and France ([[Paris]]).<ref name=WIEM/><ref name=psb819/> During his three-year stay in the Lubomirskis' Parisian residence, he was in touch with many important men of the [[Age of Enlightenment]].<ref name=psb819/> He met—often through another Florentinian, [[Filippo Mazzei]]—[[Johann Wolfgang von Goethe]], [[Thomas Jefferson]], the [[Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette|Marquis de Lafayette]], [[Luigi Landriani]], [[Girolamo Lucchesini]], and the [[Marquis de Condorcet]].<ref name=psb819/> He also corresponded with [[J. G. Herder]].<ref name=psb819/> In Poland, he developed close contacts with [[Ignacy Potocki]] and [[Julian Ursyn Niemcewicz]]a.<ref name=psb819/> From 1787 he also tutored [[Adam Jerzy Czartoryski]], later an important politician in the [[Russian Empire]], on whom Piattoli would retain significant influence.<ref name=psb819/><ref name="Riasanovsky1970"/> |
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==Reformer and constitution drafter== |
==Reformer and constitution drafter== |
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[[File:Konstytucja 3 Maja.jpg|thumb|475px|''[[Constitution of |
[[File:Konstytucja 3 Maja.jpg|thumb|475px|''[[Constitution of 3 May 1791 (painting)|Constitution of 3 May 1791]]'', a 19th-century painting by [[Jan Matejko]]. Piattoli is one of many historical characters featured on this canvas. See [[:File:Konstytucja 3 Maja guide.jpg|here]] for a detailed legend.]] |
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Piattoli developed contacts with notable figures on the Polish political scene, initially from the group opposed to the royal faction.<ref name=psb819/> By the end of his stay in Paris, he likely became a supporter of reforms in France and Poland, and begun taking his first serious steps in political activism, through the involvement in the [[Quattuowirat]], a group of magnates planning a (never realized) [[confederation|confederacy]].<ref name=psb819/> He became a foreign member of the [[Société des Amis des Noirs]].<ref name=psb819/> |
Piattoli developed contacts with notable figures on the Polish political scene, initially from the group opposed to the royal faction.<ref name=psb819/> By the end of his stay in Paris, he likely became a supporter of reforms in France and Poland, and begun taking his first serious steps in political activism, through the involvement in the [[Quattuowirat]], a group of magnates planning a (never realized) [[confederation|confederacy]].<ref name=psb819/> He became a foreign member of the [[Société des Amis des Noirs]].<ref name=psb819/> |
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Through his freemason contacts with [[Pierre Maurice Glayre]], Piattoli won the confidence of Poland's King [[Stanisław August Poniatowski]], becoming his agent in Paris and, by the end of 1789, his [[private secretary]] and librarian, although without any official title.<ref name="encyklopedia"/><ref name=psb820/> Acting as a sort of cultural aide, Piattoli, who had strong ties to the reformist and often anti-royal opposition, became an important link between the reformers—[[Ignacy Potocki]] in particular—and the king.<ref name=psb820/><ref name=psb821/> In the words of a Swedish diplomat, L. Engstrom, he was |
Through his freemason contacts with [[Pierre Maurice Glayre]], Piattoli won the confidence of Poland's King [[Stanisław August Poniatowski]], becoming his agent in Paris and, by the end of 1789, his [[private secretary]] and librarian, although without any official title.<ref name="encyklopedia"/><ref name=psb820/> Acting as a sort of cultural aide, Piattoli, who had strong ties to the reformist and often anti-royal opposition, became an important link between the reformers—[[Ignacy Potocki]] in particular—and the king.<ref name=psb820/><ref name=psb821/> In the words of a Swedish diplomat, L. Engstrom, he was "like a tireless spring", constantly mediating between the two factions.<ref name=psb821/> |
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Due to his association with the reformers, in conservative Rome he became infamous as a staunch supporter of revolutionary ideals and was accused of "democratism".<ref name=psb820/> [[Holy See|Vatican]] diplomats criticized the king for hiring such a "revolutionary", but the king defended Piattoli quite vividly.<ref name=psb820/> In any case, many such claims were exaggerations or rumours spread by his political enemies: according to one such rumour, Piattoli was alleged to incite crowds in France to kill the king.<ref name=psb820/><ref name="Butterwick2012"/> In reality, Piattoli supported the ''[[Monarchiens]]'' of the [[French Revolution]]'s early stages, but more in the direction of peaceful transformation into a constitutional republic than the [[regicide|regicidal]] excesses.<ref name=psb820/> |
Due to his association with the reformers, in conservative Rome he became infamous as a staunch supporter of revolutionary ideals and was accused of "democratism".<ref name=psb820/> [[Holy See|Vatican]] diplomats criticized the king for hiring such a "revolutionary", but the king defended Piattoli quite vividly.<ref name=psb820/> In any case, many such claims were exaggerations or rumours spread by his political enemies: according to one such rumour, Piattoli was alleged to incite crowds in France to kill the king.<ref name=psb820/><ref name="Butterwick2012"/> In reality, Piattoli supported the ''[[Monarchiens]]'' of the [[French Revolution]]'s early stages, but more in the direction of peaceful transformation into a constitutional republic than the [[regicide|regicidal]] excesses.<ref name=psb820/> |
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Between 1790 and 1792, Piattoli was sent on several sensitive [[diplomatic mission]]s for the king to [[Berlin]] and other places.<ref name="encyklopedia"/><ref name=psb822/><ref name=psb823/> He was involved in the negotiations of the [[Polish-Prussian alliance]].<ref name=psb822/> He collaborated with Ignacy Potocki, helping draft many texts connected with Potocki's work in the [[Sejm]], the [[legislature]] of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth.<ref name="encyklopedia"/><ref name=psb821/> He was also an active supporter of Poniatowski's plan for a [[hereditary succession]].<ref name=psb821/> |
Between 1790 and 1792, Piattoli was sent on several sensitive [[diplomatic mission]]s for the king to [[Berlin]] and other places.<ref name="encyklopedia"/><ref name=psb822/><ref name=psb823/> He was involved in the negotiations of the [[Polish-Prussian alliance]].<ref name=psb822/> He collaborated with Ignacy Potocki, helping draft many texts connected with Potocki's work in the [[Sejm]], the [[legislature]] of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth.<ref name="encyklopedia"/><ref name=psb821/> He was also an active supporter of Poniatowski's plan for a [[hereditary succession]].<ref name=psb821/> |
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Piattoli, as Poniatowski's secretary and a resident of the [[Royal Castle, Warsaw|Royal Castle]] in [[Warsaw]], has been credited with winning the King over to the idea of [[social reform]]s and with playing a part in the drafting of the [[Constitution of May |
Piattoli, as Poniatowski's secretary and a resident of the [[Royal Castle, Warsaw|Royal Castle]] in [[Warsaw]], has been credited with winning the King over to the idea of [[social reform]]s and with playing a part in the drafting of the [[Constitution of 3 May 1791]].<ref name="constitutions"/> The exact nature of Piattoli's role in regard to the Constitution remains uncertain; modern historians disagree to what degree he was an executor, a mediator, or an initiator.<ref name=psb822/><ref name="constitutions"/> He played a role in convincing the King to collaborate with the leaders of the [[Patriotic Party]] on drafting a constitution. He might have prepared or expanded drafts of the document, based on discussions among the principal authors, including the King, [[Hugo Kołłątaj]] (another politically active Roman Catholic priest) and Ignacy Potocki.<ref name="constitutions"/><ref name=Bauer125/> At a minimum, he seems to have helped catalyze the process.<ref name="constitutions"/> Historian [[Emanuel Rostworowski]] describes him as a vital secretary-editor, who certainly participated in related discussions and influenced both Potocki and the king, and calls Piattoli's quarters in the Royal Palace a "creche" of the constitution.<ref name=psb821/><ref name=psb822/> Piattoli was, finally, involved in the final preparations for the vote that took place during the Sejm session on 3 May.<ref name=psb822/> |
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Later that month he became a founder of the [[Zgromadzenie Przyjaciół Konstytucji Rządowej|Friends of the Constitution]].<ref name=psb822/> He was active in various political causes and worked closely with other key figures in Poland such as Hugo Kołłątaj.<ref name=psb822/> He became a trusted adviser to [[Dorothea von Medem]], Duchess of Courland.<ref name=psb822/> He supported reforms to improve the status of the [[Medieval bourgeoisie|burgher]]s and [[Polish Jews|Jews]].<ref name=psb822/> |
Later that month he became a founder of the [[Zgromadzenie Przyjaciół Konstytucji Rządowej|Friends of the Constitution]].<ref name=psb822/> He was active in various political causes and worked closely with other key figures in Poland such as Hugo Kołłątaj.<ref name=psb822/> He became a trusted adviser to [[Dorothea von Medem]], Duchess of Courland.<ref name=psb822/> He supported reforms to improve the status of the [[Medieval bourgeoisie|burgher]]s and [[Polish Jews|Jews]].<ref name=psb822/> |
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During the [[War in Defence of the Constitution]] in 1792, Piattoli found himself on another diplomatic mission to [[Dresden]], where he stayed after the Commonwealth's defeat at the hands of [[Imperial Russia]] resulted in the [[Second Partition of Poland]].<ref name=psb823/> In Dresden and nearby [[Leipzig]], Piattoli was active in the circles of Polish patriotic emigres, who included Potocki and Kolłątaj.<ref name=psb823/><ref name=psb824/> In 1793 he officially parted ways with Poniatowski, receiving a letter in which he was discharged from his service.<ref name=psb823/> In 1794 he was involved in the preparations for the [[Kościuszko Insurrection]] against Russian influence, and in negotiations with the newly republican France, in which Polish reformists proposed an alliance with France, promising to turn Poland into a second republic in Europe.<ref name=psb824/><ref name=psb825/> At the same time, he was involved in much more conservative negotiations with Russians.<ref name=psb824/><ref name=psb825/> |
During the [[War in Defence of the Constitution]] in 1792, Piattoli found himself on another diplomatic mission to [[Dresden]], where he stayed after the Commonwealth's defeat at the hands of [[Imperial Russia]] resulted in the [[Second Partition of Poland]].<ref name=psb823/> In Dresden and nearby [[Leipzig]], Piattoli was active in the circles of Polish patriotic emigres, who included Potocki and Kolłątaj.<ref name=psb823/><ref name=psb824/> In 1793 he officially parted ways with Poniatowski, receiving a letter in which he was discharged from his service.<ref name=psb823/> In 1794 he was involved in the preparations for the [[Kościuszko Insurrection]] against Russian influence, and in negotiations with the newly republican France, in which Polish reformists proposed an alliance with France, promising to turn Poland into a second republic in Europe.<ref name=psb824/><ref name=psb825/> At the same time, he was involved in much more conservative negotiations with Russians.<ref name=psb824/><ref name=psb825/> |
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In July 1794 he and several other activists were exiled from Leipzig, and Piattoli was soon arrested by the Austrian authorities.<ref name=psb825/> After the failure of the Kościuszko Insurrection later in 1794, many prisoners were set free, but Piattoli was kept imprisoned, together with Kołłątaj, as the Russian authorities insisted that the two were |
In July 1794 he and several other activists were exiled from Leipzig, and Piattoli was soon arrested by the Austrian authorities.<ref name=psb825/> After the failure of the Kościuszko Insurrection later in 1794, many prisoners were set free, but Piattoli was kept imprisoned, together with Kołłątaj, as the Russian authorities insisted that the two were "extremely dangerous".<ref name=psb825/> Hence, even after the final [[Partitions of Poland|Partitions of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth]] in 1795, Piattoli was kept interned in [[Prague]] by the [[Austrian Empire]] authorities until 1800, despite requests for his release from Poniatowski and even [[Napoleon Bonaparte]].<ref name=WIEM/><ref name=psb825/> His release in 1800 seems to have been the result of efforts of the [[Czartoryski]] family and Duchess Dorothea.<ref name=psb825/> |
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After his release he returned to Dorothea's [[Courland]] court, where he served as a tutor for her daughter.<ref name=psb825/> Around 1803 he began cooperating with [[Adam Jerzy Czartoryski]], who was now working for the Russian authorities.<ref name=psb825/> Around that time, he and Czartoryski authored a plan for a [[Europe]]an [[Federation|federal]] organization of states intended to prevent [[armed conflict]]s and to maintain [[perpetual peace]].<ref name="encyklopedia"/><ref name=psb825/><ref name="FeuerMiller2008"/><ref name=psb826/> Piattoli, through Czartoryski, briefly worked in the diplomatic service and administration of the Russians, too.<ref name=WIEM/><ref name="encyklopedia"/><ref name=psb826/> Like Czartoryski, Piattoli tried to push for a more lenient and friendly attitude towards Poland at the Russian court, but with little success.<ref name=psb826/> |
After his release he returned to Dorothea's [[Courland]] court, where he served as a tutor for her daughter.<ref name=psb825/> Around 1803 he began cooperating with [[Adam Jerzy Czartoryski]], who was now working for the Russian authorities.<ref name=psb825/> Around that time, he and Czartoryski authored a plan for a [[Europe]]an [[Federation|federal]] organization of states intended to prevent [[armed conflict]]s and to maintain [[perpetual peace]].<ref name="encyklopedia"/><ref name=psb825/><ref name="FeuerMiller2008"/><ref name=psb826/> Piattoli, through Czartoryski, briefly worked in the diplomatic service and administration of the Russians, too.<ref name=WIEM/><ref name="encyklopedia"/><ref name=psb826/> Like Czartoryski, Piattoli tried to push for a more lenient and friendly attitude towards Poland at the Russian court, but with little success.<ref name=psb826/> |
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In 1807 Scipione Piattoli returned to Courland.<ref name=psb827/> There he finally settled, abandoned the priesthood, and married one of the ladies of the court.<ref name=WIEM/><ref name="encyklopedia"/><ref name=psb827/> In his final years in Courland he was involved with Courland's educational system, and hoped to pursue some scientific studies, a lifelong dream for which he never found enough time.<ref name=psb827/> He died of a lung infection in [[Altenburg]] on |
In 1807 Scipione Piattoli returned to Courland.<ref name=psb827/> There he finally settled, abandoned the priesthood, and married one of the ladies of the court.<ref name=WIEM/><ref name="encyklopedia"/><ref name=psb827/> In his final years in Courland he was involved with Courland's educational system, and hoped to pursue some scientific studies, a lifelong dream for which he never found enough time.<ref name=psb827/> He died of a lung infection in [[Altenburg]] on 12 April 1809.<ref name=psb827/> He was buried in a park in [[Löbichau]].<ref name=psb827/> |
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==Remembrance== |
==Remembrance== |
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Piattoli was an inspiration to [[Leo Tolstoy]], who based the figure of the Abbé Morio in ''[[War and Peace]]'' (1869) on him.<ref name="FeuerMiller2008"/><ref name=psb827/> He is also one of the figures immortalized in [[Jan Matejko]]'s 1891 painting, ''[[Constitution of May |
Piattoli was an inspiration to [[Leo Tolstoy]], who based the figure of the Abbé Morio in ''[[War and Peace]]'' (1869) on him.<ref name="FeuerMiller2008"/><ref name=psb827/> He is also one of the figures immortalized in [[Jan Matejko]]'s 1891 painting, ''[[Constitution of 3 May 1791 (painting)|Constitution of 3 May 1791]]''.<ref name="biul"/> In his 1980 ten-page entry on Piattoli in the ''[[Polish Biographical Dictionary]]'', historian [[Emanuel Rostworowski]] notes that, "despite two Italian monographs (by A.D. Ancon and G. Bozzolato)", Piattoli still awaits a definitive biography.<ref name=psb827/> |
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==See also== |
==See also== |
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<ref name=Bauer125>{{cite book|author=Krzysztof Bauer|title=Uchwalenie i obrona Konstytucji 3 Maja|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WLNGAAAAIAAJ|access-date=2 January 2012|year=1991|publisher=Wydawnictwa Szkolne i Pedagogiczne|isbn=978-83-02-04615-5|page=125}}</ref> |
<ref name=Bauer125>{{cite book|author=Krzysztof Bauer|title=Uchwalenie i obrona Konstytucji 3 Maja|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WLNGAAAAIAAJ|access-date=2 January 2012|year=1991|publisher=Wydawnictwa Szkolne i Pedagogiczne|isbn=978-83-02-04615-5|page=125}}</ref> |
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<ref name="biul">{{cite book|author1=Państwowy Instytut Sztuki (Poland)|author2=Politechnika Warszawska. Zakład Architektury Polskiej|author3=Stowarzyszenie Historyków Sztuki|title=Biuletyn historii sztuki|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SZWfAAAAMAAJ|access-date= |
<ref name="biul">{{cite book|author1=Państwowy Instytut Sztuki (Poland)|author2=Politechnika Warszawska. Zakład Architektury Polskiej|author3=Stowarzyszenie Historyków Sztuki|title=Biuletyn historii sztuki|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SZWfAAAAMAAJ|access-date=14 August 2011|year=1985|page=260}}</ref> |
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<ref name="Butterwick2012">{{cite book|author=Richard Butterwick|title=The Polish Revolution and the Catholic Church, 1788-1792: A Political History|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TlQQdbfi_v0C|access-date=2 January 2012|date=1 February 2012|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-0-19-925033-2|page=279}}</ref> |
<ref name="Butterwick2012">{{cite book|author=Richard Butterwick|title=The Polish Revolution and the Catholic Church, 1788-1792: A Political History|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TlQQdbfi_v0C|access-date=2 January 2012|date=1 February 2012|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-0-19-925033-2|page=279}}</ref> |
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<ref name="psb827">Emanuel Rostworowski, ''Piattoli Scipione'', Polski Słownik Biograficzny, Tom XXV, Zakład Narodowy Imenia Ossolińskich I Wydawnictwo Polskieh Akademii Nauk, 1980, {{ISBN|83-04-00148-9}}, p. 827</ref> |
<ref name="psb827">Emanuel Rostworowski, ''Piattoli Scipione'', Polski Słownik Biograficzny, Tom XXV, Zakład Narodowy Imenia Ossolińskich I Wydawnictwo Polskieh Akademii Nauk, 1980, {{ISBN|83-04-00148-9}}, p. 827</ref> |
||
<ref name="Riasanovsky1970">{{cite book|author=Nicholas V. Riasanovsky|title=California slavic studies|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XBJZVNYM_NUC&pg=PA24|access-date=2 January 2012|date=1 January 1970|publisher=University of California Press|isbn=978-0-520-09043-9|page=24}}</ref> |
<ref name="Riasanovsky1970">{{cite book|author=Nicholas V. Riasanovsky |authorlink=Nicholas V. Riasanovsky|title=California slavic studies|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XBJZVNYM_NUC&pg=PA24|access-date=2 January 2012|date=1 January 1970|publisher=University of California Press|isbn=978-0-520-09043-9|page=24}}</ref> |
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<ref name="WIEM">{{in lang|pl}} [http://portalwiedzy.onet.pl/63855,,,,piattoli_scipione,haslo.html Piattoli Scipione], [[Encyklopedia WIEM]]. Accessed on 2 January 2012.</ref> |
<ref name="WIEM">{{in lang|pl}} [http://portalwiedzy.onet.pl/63855,,,,piattoli_scipione,haslo.html Piattoli Scipione] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304045031/http://portalwiedzy.onet.pl/63855,,,,piattoli_scipione,haslo.html |date=4 March 2016 }}, [[Encyklopedia WIEM]]. Accessed on 2 January 2012.</ref> |
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==External links== |
==External links== |
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* [http://www.wilanow-palac.pl/piattoli_scipione_1749_1809.html Piattoli Scipione (1749–1809)], based on the ''[[Polish Biographical Dictionary|Polski Słownik Biograficzny]]'' entry (abridged) {{in lang|pl}}. Muzeum Pałac w Wilanowie. |
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Latest revision as of 15:47, 10 November 2024
Scipione Piattoli | |
|---|---|
 Portrait by Marcello Bacciarelli | |
| Born | 10 November 1749 |
| Died | 12 April 1809 (aged 69) Altenburg, Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg, Rhine Confederation |
| Nationality | Italian |
| Other names | Urban |
| Occupations |
|
| Known for | Co-drafting the Constitution of 3 May 1791 |
Scipione Piattoli (Italian pronunciation: [ʃiˈpjoːne ˈpjattoli]; 10 November 1749 – 12 April 1809) was an Italian Catholic priest—a Piarist—an educator, writer, and political activist, and a major figure of the Enlightenment in Poland. After ten years as a professor at the University of Modena in Italy, he emigrated to the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, where he became associated with several magnate families—the Potockis, Lubomirskis, and Czartoryskis. He was a member of Duchess Dorothea von Medem's court in Courland (Lithuania) and of King Stanisław August Poniatowski's court.
Piattoli was politically active in Warsaw during and after the Four-Year Sejm (1788–1792). He served as intermediary between the reformist Patriotic Party and King Stanisław August Poniatowski, and as an aide to the King (1789–1793). He is best remembered for his participation in drafting the Constitution of 3 May 1791, a milestone in the history of Polish political legislation. He was an organizer of the 1794 Kościuszko Insurrection against Russian influence, which was the last armed struggle held under the banners of the Commonwealth. After the Third Partition of Poland (1795), Piattoli was interned by the Austrians for several years, together with another Polish activist of the Constitution movement, Hugo Kołłątaj. Freed in 1800, he worked several years with Polish and Russian statesman Prince Adam Jerzy Czartoryski in the service of Russia, before retiring to Courland.
Piattoli was an inspiration to Leo Tolstoy, who based the figure of Abbé Morio in War and Peace (1869) on him. He is also one of the figures immortalized in Jan Matejko's 1891 painting, Constitution of 3 May 1791. In his 1980 ten-page entry on Piattoli in the Polish Biographical Dictionary, historian Emanuel Rostworowski notes that, "despite two Italian monographs (by A.D. Ancon and G. Bozzolato)", Piattoli still awaits a definitive biography.
Early life
[edit]Scipione Piattoli was born in Florence on 10 November 1749 to a family of painters (father, Gaetano Piattoli; mother, Anna Bacherini Piattoli; brother, Giuseppe Piattoli).[1]
In 1763 he joined the Piarist order, taking the name Urban.[1] Some historians have questioned whether he ever took Holy Orders; in any case he was known for a rather secular lifestyle.[1][2] He taught rhetoric in Piarist schools in Massa and Corregio, and got his doctorate from the University of Florence.[1] From 1772 to 1782 he was a professor at the University of Modena, teaching religious history and Greek.[3] Soon he became involved in political activism, and in 1774 he published (anonymously) a brochure titled Saggio intorno al luogo del seppellire, which focused on the issue of hygiene and burials near churches.[1] Also in 1774 he received permission to leave the Piarists, and resumed using the name Scipione.[1] He would, however, keep and use the title of "the priest" (l'abbé) for most of his life.[1] By the turn of the decade, Piattoli found himself in a faction that was losing in the politics of Modena, and decided to move, giving up his professorship in 1782.[1]
Piattoli arrived in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth that year, as a tutor for the sons of Piotr Potocki, a member of the magnate Potocki family.[1] It was said in a contemporary account that his entire material wealth at that time was composed of a "sizable library".[1] Piattoli ended his service with the Potocki family around 1784 due to personal disagreements with Pelagia Potocka and Maria Radziwiłł.[4] In the meantime, he became associated with the Lubomirski family—Izabela Lubomirska in particular—and through them befriended Stanisław Kostka Potocki and Grzegorz Piramowicz.[4] Through Potocki and Piramowicz he became a member of the Society for Elementary Books in 1784.[4] In the Society he was tasked with writing a textbook on the history of science.[4] Around that time he was also active in Warsaw freemasonry.[4]
Piattoli traveled through Europe in the retinue of the Lubomirski family, including Izabela, and as a tutor of young Henryk Lubomirski.[4] During that time he developed extensive contacts at various European courts in Courland, Austria (Vienna), Italy (Turin) and France (Paris).[3][4] During his three-year stay in the Lubomirskis' Parisian residence, he was in touch with many important men of the Age of Enlightenment.[4] He met—often through another Florentinian, Filippo Mazzei—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Thomas Jefferson, the Marquis de Lafayette, Luigi Landriani, Girolamo Lucchesini, and the Marquis de Condorcet.[4] He also corresponded with J. G. Herder.[4] In Poland, he developed close contacts with Ignacy Potocki and Julian Ursyn Niemcewicza.[4] From 1787 he also tutored Adam Jerzy Czartoryski, later an important politician in the Russian Empire, on whom Piattoli would retain significant influence.[4][5]
Reformer and constitution drafter
[edit]
Piattoli developed contacts with notable figures on the Polish political scene, initially from the group opposed to the royal faction.[4] By the end of his stay in Paris, he likely became a supporter of reforms in France and Poland, and begun taking his first serious steps in political activism, through the involvement in the Quattuowirat, a group of magnates planning a (never realized) confederacy.[4] He became a foreign member of the Société des Amis des Noirs.[4]
Through his freemason contacts with Pierre Maurice Glayre, Piattoli won the confidence of Poland's King Stanisław August Poniatowski, becoming his agent in Paris and, by the end of 1789, his private secretary and librarian, although without any official title.[6][7] Acting as a sort of cultural aide, Piattoli, who had strong ties to the reformist and often anti-royal opposition, became an important link between the reformers—Ignacy Potocki in particular—and the king.[7][8] In the words of a Swedish diplomat, L. Engstrom, he was "like a tireless spring", constantly mediating between the two factions.[8]
Due to his association with the reformers, in conservative Rome he became infamous as a staunch supporter of revolutionary ideals and was accused of "democratism".[7] Vatican diplomats criticized the king for hiring such a "revolutionary", but the king defended Piattoli quite vividly.[7] In any case, many such claims were exaggerations or rumours spread by his political enemies: according to one such rumour, Piattoli was alleged to incite crowds in France to kill the king.[7][9] In reality, Piattoli supported the Monarchiens of the French Revolution's early stages, but more in the direction of peaceful transformation into a constitutional republic than the regicidal excesses.[7]
Between 1790 and 1792, Piattoli was sent on several sensitive diplomatic missions for the king to Berlin and other places.[6][10][11] He was involved in the negotiations of the Polish-Prussian alliance.[10] He collaborated with Ignacy Potocki, helping draft many texts connected with Potocki's work in the Sejm, the legislature of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth.[6][8] He was also an active supporter of Poniatowski's plan for a hereditary succession.[8] Piattoli, as Poniatowski's secretary and a resident of the Royal Castle in Warsaw, has been credited with winning the King over to the idea of social reforms and with playing a part in the drafting of the Constitution of 3 May 1791.[12] The exact nature of Piattoli's role in regard to the Constitution remains uncertain; modern historians disagree to what degree he was an executor, a mediator, or an initiator.[10][12] He played a role in convincing the King to collaborate with the leaders of the Patriotic Party on drafting a constitution. He might have prepared or expanded drafts of the document, based on discussions among the principal authors, including the King, Hugo Kołłątaj (another politically active Roman Catholic priest) and Ignacy Potocki.[12][13] At a minimum, he seems to have helped catalyze the process.[12] Historian Emanuel Rostworowski describes him as a vital secretary-editor, who certainly participated in related discussions and influenced both Potocki and the king, and calls Piattoli's quarters in the Royal Palace a "creche" of the constitution.[8][10] Piattoli was, finally, involved in the final preparations for the vote that took place during the Sejm session on 3 May.[10]
Later that month he became a founder of the Friends of the Constitution.[10] He was active in various political causes and worked closely with other key figures in Poland such as Hugo Kołłątaj.[10] He became a trusted adviser to Dorothea von Medem, Duchess of Courland.[10] He supported reforms to improve the status of the burghers and Jews.[10]
Final years
[edit]During the War in Defence of the Constitution in 1792, Piattoli found himself on another diplomatic mission to Dresden, where he stayed after the Commonwealth's defeat at the hands of Imperial Russia resulted in the Second Partition of Poland.[11] In Dresden and nearby Leipzig, Piattoli was active in the circles of Polish patriotic emigres, who included Potocki and Kolłątaj.[11][14] In 1793 he officially parted ways with Poniatowski, receiving a letter in which he was discharged from his service.[11] In 1794 he was involved in the preparations for the Kościuszko Insurrection against Russian influence, and in negotiations with the newly republican France, in which Polish reformists proposed an alliance with France, promising to turn Poland into a second republic in Europe.[14][15] At the same time, he was involved in much more conservative negotiations with Russians.[14][15]
In July 1794 he and several other activists were exiled from Leipzig, and Piattoli was soon arrested by the Austrian authorities.[15] After the failure of the Kościuszko Insurrection later in 1794, many prisoners were set free, but Piattoli was kept imprisoned, together with Kołłątaj, as the Russian authorities insisted that the two were "extremely dangerous".[15] Hence, even after the final Partitions of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth in 1795, Piattoli was kept interned in Prague by the Austrian Empire authorities until 1800, despite requests for his release from Poniatowski and even Napoleon Bonaparte.[3][15] His release in 1800 seems to have been the result of efforts of the Czartoryski family and Duchess Dorothea.[15]
After his release he returned to Dorothea's Courland court, where he served as a tutor for her daughter.[15] Around 1803 he began cooperating with Adam Jerzy Czartoryski, who was now working for the Russian authorities.[15] Around that time, he and Czartoryski authored a plan for a European federal organization of states intended to prevent armed conflicts and to maintain perpetual peace.[6][15][16][17] Piattoli, through Czartoryski, briefly worked in the diplomatic service and administration of the Russians, too.[3][6][17] Like Czartoryski, Piattoli tried to push for a more lenient and friendly attitude towards Poland at the Russian court, but with little success.[17]
In 1807 Scipione Piattoli returned to Courland.[18] There he finally settled, abandoned the priesthood, and married one of the ladies of the court.[3][6][18] In his final years in Courland he was involved with Courland's educational system, and hoped to pursue some scientific studies, a lifelong dream for which he never found enough time.[18] He died of a lung infection in Altenburg on 12 April 1809.[18] He was buried in a park in Löbichau.[18]
Remembrance
[edit]Piattoli was an inspiration to Leo Tolstoy, who based the figure of the Abbé Morio in War and Peace (1869) on him.[16][18] He is also one of the figures immortalized in Jan Matejko's 1891 painting, Constitution of 3 May 1791.[19] In his 1980 ten-page entry on Piattoli in the Polish Biographical Dictionary, historian Emanuel Rostworowski notes that, "despite two Italian monographs (by A.D. Ancon and G. Bozzolato)", Piattoli still awaits a definitive biography.[18]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Emanuel Rostworowski, Piattoli Scipione, Polski Słownik Biograficzny, Tom XXV, Zakład Narodowy Imenia Ossolińskich I Wydawnictwo Polskieh Akademii Nauk, 1980, ISBN 83-04-00148-9, p. 818
- ^ Henryk Głębocki (January 2006). Kresy imperium: szkice i materiały do dziejów polityki Rosji wobec jej peryferii, XVIII-XXI wiek. Wyd. Arcana. p. 97. ISBN 978-83-89243-63-8. Retrieved 2 January 2012.
Niejasne jest jednak, czy w ogóle posiadał święcenia kapłańskie, z pewnością pędził jednak świecki tryb życia.
- ^ a b c d e (in Polish) Piattoli Scipione Archived 4 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine, Encyklopedia WIEM. Accessed on 2 January 2012.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Emanuel Rostworowski, Piattoli Scipione, Polski Słownik Biograficzny, Tom XXV, Zakład Narodowy Imenia Ossolińskich I Wydawnictwo Polskieh Akademii Nauk, 1980, ISBN 83-04-00148-9, p. 819
- ^ Nicholas V. Riasanovsky (1 January 1970). California slavic studies. University of California Press. p. 24. ISBN 978-0-520-09043-9. Retrieved 2 January 2012.
- ^ a b c d e f "Piattoli, Scipione," Encyklopedia powszechna PWN (PWN Universal Encyclopedia), vol. 3, Warsaw, Państwowe Wydawnictwo Naukowe, 1975, p. 505.
- ^ a b c d e f Emanuel Rostworowski, Piattoli Scipione, Polski Słownik Biograficzny, Tom XXV, Zakład Narodowy Imenia Ossolińskich I Wydawnictwo Polskieh Akademii Nauk, 1980, ISBN 83-04-00148-9, p. 820
- ^ a b c d e Emanuel Rostworowski, Piattoli Scipione, Polski Słownik Biograficzny, Tom XXV, Zakład Narodowy Imenia Ossolińskich I Wydawnictwo Polskieh Akademii Nauk, 1980, ISBN 83-04-00148-9, p. 821
- ^ Richard Butterwick (1 February 2012). The Polish Revolution and the Catholic Church, 1788-1792: A Political History. Oxford University Press. p. 279. ISBN 978-0-19-925033-2. Retrieved 2 January 2012.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Emanuel Rostworowski, Piattoli Scipione, Polski Słownik Biograficzny, Tom XXV, Zakład Narodowy Imenia Ossolińskich I Wydawnictwo Polskieh Akademii Nauk, 1980, ISBN 83-04-00148-9, p. 822
- ^ a b c d Emanuel Rostworowski, Piattoli Scipione, Polski Słownik Biograficzny, Tom XXV, Zakład Narodowy Imenia Ossolińskich I Wydawnictwo Polskieh Akademii Nauk, 1980, ISBN 83-04-00148-9, p. 823
- ^ a b c d Joseph Kasparek (June 1980). The constitutions of Poland and of the United States: kinships and genealogy. Miami: American Institute of Polish Culture. p. 31. ISBN 978-1-881284-09-3. Retrieved 3 January 2012.
- ^ Krzysztof Bauer (1991). Uchwalenie i obrona Konstytucji 3 Maja. Wydawnictwa Szkolne i Pedagogiczne. p. 125. ISBN 978-83-02-04615-5. Retrieved 2 January 2012.
- ^ a b c Emanuel Rostworowski, Piattoli Scipione, Polski Słownik Biograficzny, Tom XXV, Zakład Narodowy Imenia Ossolińskich I Wydawnictwo Polskieh Akademii Nauk, 1980, ISBN 83-04-00148-9, p. 824
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Emanuel Rostworowski, Piattoli Scipione, Polski Słownik Biograficzny, Tom XXV, Zakład Narodowy Imenia Ossolińskich I Wydawnictwo Polskieh Akademii Nauk, 1980, ISBN 83-04-00148-9, p. 825
- ^ a b Kathryn B. Feuer; Robin Feuer Miller; Donna Tussing Orwin (January 2008). Tolstoy and the Genesis of War and Peace. Cornell University Press. p. 243. ISBN 978-0-8014-7447-7. Retrieved 2 January 2012.
- ^ a b c Emanuel Rostworowski, Piattoli Scipione, Polski Słownik Biograficzny, Tom XXV, Zakład Narodowy Imenia Ossolińskich I Wydawnictwo Polskieh Akademii Nauk, 1980, ISBN 83-04-00148-9, p. 826
- ^ a b c d e f g Emanuel Rostworowski, Piattoli Scipione, Polski Słownik Biograficzny, Tom XXV, Zakład Narodowy Imenia Ossolińskich I Wydawnictwo Polskieh Akademii Nauk, 1980, ISBN 83-04-00148-9, p. 827
- ^ Państwowy Instytut Sztuki (Poland); Politechnika Warszawska. Zakład Architektury Polskiej; Stowarzyszenie Historyków Sztuki (1985). Biuletyn historii sztuki. p. 260. Retrieved 14 August 2011.
Further reading
[edit]- Bozzolato G., Polonia e Russia alla fine del XVIII secolo – Un avvanturerio ornarato: Scipione Piattoli, Padova 1964
External links
[edit]- Piattoli Scipione (1749–1809), based on the Polski Słownik Biograficzny entry (abridged) (in Polish). Muzeum Pałac w Wilanowie.
