RADZIWIŁŁ. - An ancient noble family, of Lithuanian origin, linked in the 16th century by ties of kinship with the Jagiellonians. Its progenitor was Ostyk, but it was his son R. Ostykowicz, palatine of Troki and castellan of Wilno, who gave the family its name.

In the 16th century a large part of the members of the family adhered to the Reformation. An eminent representative was NICOLA, called the Black (1515-65), marshal and grand chancellor of the grand duchy of Lithuania, a trusted counsellor of Sigismund Augustus king of Poland, who received in 1547 the title of prince of the Empire, a dignity that was confirmed also for Poland in 1569. He was a supporter of the Calvinists and had published in 1563 the Bible translated by Socinians. His son NICOLA CRISTOFORO (1549-1616), under the influence of Card. Osio, converted to Catholicism and stood at the side of King Sigismund III to introduce the Counter-Reformation in Poland. GIORGIO (1556-1600), another son of Nicola the Black, was a cardinal in 1586; MICHELE CASIMIRO (1625-80) held diplomatic posts (embassy to the Pope in 1679). In the 19th century EDMONDO (1842-95), a member of the German Centre party and a deputy, later took the Benedictine habit at Beuron.

Bibliography3 works

BIBL.: anon., Die historische Stellung des Hauses R., Berlin 1892; J. Dabrowski, R., in Enc. Ital., XXVIII, pp. 734-35; D. Cantimori, Eretici italiani del Cinquecento, Florence 1939, passim (on the protection granted by Nicola R.).

Silvio Furlani

@incollection{ec10_radziwill, author = {Furlani, Silvio}, title = {Radziwill}, booktitle = {Enciclopedia Cattolica}, volume = {X}, pages = {469}, note = {Cited by column}, publisher = {Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico}, address = {Città del Vaticano}, year = {1953}, url = {https://azioneromana.com/article/radziwill} }

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Radziwiłł

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