Franciszka Urszula Radziwiłłowa
Franciszka Urszula Radziwiłł received an excellent education at home: spoke several European languages, knew the world literature, and wrote poetry.
Prince Michał was often away to participate in the parliament and tribunals as well as make regular detour of their other lands, so the young princess personally made decisions on majority questions in management and leadership in Nesvizh.
Talents in literature and fine arts allowed Franciszka Urszula to make Nesvizh one of the centres of cultural life in the kingdom in a very short period.
Theatrical passion of Michał Kazimierz and Franciszka Urszula began in 1740, when first time in Nesvizh Castle a foreign troupe staged a play called "The Example of Justice”.
Almost every year the Princess wrote a few new plays of narrative content: in some Franciszka Urszula made accents to the need for education, in others – condemned unfaithful husbands or admired female goodness, and sincerity.
The last stage play in the Nesvizh Theatre, according to “The Diary" of Michał Kazimierz Radziwill, dates December 27, 1752: it was "operetta of Europe" (i.e. opera "Happy unhappiness").
Genre system and figurative art palette of her poetry was based on the classical literary heritage of antiquity (Cicero, Ovid, Seneca), formed under the influence of Western European (primarily French classical) poetic school of the 17th century (poetry of François de Malherbe, Jean de La Bruyère) but in close connection with the artistic achievements of the national culture of the Renaissance and Baroque.
The poetic works of this genre reflected conversation concept, which was formed back in the ancient epistolary theory and gained popularity in the French salon poetry of the 18th century.
All four poetic letters to Prince Michał imbued with a sense of sadness of separation, bear the stamp of the hot subjective feelings.
For example, tips "to glorify the Trinity of the One God", to get rid of pride, to avoid corruption and laziness, respect parents connect with the glorification of wisdom, affirmation of the priority of spiritual values over beauty.
If the advice to approach the ideal of holiness (infinite mercy and goodness) are interpreted in line with the Christian-humanist doctrine, the call for restraint corresponds with the views of the Stoics and Epicureans about the serenity of the soul, not burdened by envy and greed.
The cycle of poetic portraits "Description of ladies of Her Highness Radziwill, Chancelloress of Great Lithuanian Kingdom" was written most likely in 1733, when Princess Franciszka Urszula was visiting her mother-in-law (the one mentioned in the title) Anna Katarzyna Sanguszko.
The reason for writing could be a wedding or the feeling of friendly affection, or even the prince's hunting or sending a letter from Leon Michał Radziwiłł to his wife Anna Luiza Mycielska.
However, the poems addressed to the God become poetic illustrations of various states of a Christian soul, which coincide with the three parts of the rosary (joyful, mourning and praise).
According educated aristocrat, her personal spiritual experience is worth to make it public; like other poets of the Baroque period, she felt to be the happy owner of the truth.
On one hand, Princess Franciszka Urszula considers it possible to personally rewrite a poem by French poet François de Malherbe and "forget" mark in the manuscript the author's name, on the other hand – she assigns her poems authorship to other persons (such as, "Gratitude of His Highness Prince Leon Radziwill" or "Verse on the memory of Her Highness Anna Luiza Mycielska... ").
In the works "On the mutual responsibilities of men and women...", "Relationship with others and secrecy of it" a variety of family life issues is analysed, as well as a logical reasoning to ensure happiness in marriage given: a wise prudence, piety of spouses, reciprocal enforcement of marital obligations, propriety and benevolence, politeness and virtuousness.
It is obvious that the issues reflected in francophone treatises were extremely interesting for the poet, whose work from the beginning thematically and figuratively had been clearly directed to the theme of love, at least in the marriage.
At the same time, there was not any internal connection between the respective views of celebration and genre of a play: a serious thing was performed when something serious was written, funny – when a comedy was in the presence.
However, because the evidence of the early dramatic experience doesn’t exist, the starting point of her dramaturgical and directorial activity is officially considered June 13, 1746, when in Nesvizh, in the summer residence Alba the comedy "Ingenious Love", dedicated to 44th anniversary of Prince Michał Kazimierz was staged.
Main character receives a fundamentally new interpretation: in the famous scene with the "Three Graces" Paris gives "the apple of discord" to Venus without hesitation (in contrast to the mythical hero).
This plot has primarily a didactic purpose of teaching children, and in a broader sense reinterpretation of the myth can be seen as the result of the Enlightenment ideology, with its cult of science and education.
The plot of the play is known from the Boccaccio’s novels: a story of the Marquis of Saluzzo, who married a poor girl, and then brutally checked a new wife on loyalty and obedience to his will.
Franciszka Urszula Radziwiłł succeeded in synthesizing ancient history, figurative and narrative features of the Hellenistic and heroic novels, adding magnificent Baroque vocal and decoration.
[3] It was an achievement of Francesca that in the era of pastoral drama she used live colloquial, created vivid real characters and successfully combined all the elements.
Unlike in ancient stories, Franciszka Urszula’s love is a gallant refined feeling; the desire for spiritual unity and not physical thirst.
[5] Franciszka Urszula Radziwiłł was the creator of Nesvizh Court Theatre repertoire, translator and processor of Molière's comedy heritage.
The writer's credo can be outlined as "a praise of a woman" Her dramatic work absorb the ideas and concepts of modern times – the Enlightenment, reflects spiritual needs of aristocracy; it is an evidence of the high level of the refined poetic word in Polish-Belarusian literature of the 18th century.
After her death, one of the Nesvizh actors and stage directors Jakub Fryczyński published all her dramatic works, with engraved illustrations by Michał Żukowski based on drawings of Franciszka Urszula Radziwiłł ("Komedye y Tragedye", 1754).
New rise of Nesvizh theater started in 1777, when Franciszka Urszula Radziwiłł’s son Karol Stanislaw Radziwill "Pan Kochanku" returned from exile.
