SAPIENIA, FAMIGLIA. – Noble Polish family of Lithuanian origin. The S. (in ancient documents also SOPIEHA, SOPIHA, SOPIEŻYCZ) descend from SEMEN S. (15th century), whose two sons BOGDAN and IVAN gave rise to two branches of the S.: those of SIEVERSK and KODEŃ.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the S. concentrated vast possessions in their hands, becoming, after the Radziwills, the richest and most powerful aristocratic family in Lithuania. Even after being defeated at Olkieniki (1700) by the confederated lesser nobility, the S. nevertheless retained an eminent position in the Polish-Lithuanian aristocracy. In 1633 STANISLAW JAN S. obtained princely dignity from Emperor Ferdinand II, which Emperor Charles VI extended to the entire family. Some of the S. passed from the dissident Byzantine-Slavic Church to Catholicism, while others became Protestants. During the course of the 17th century, however, the entire family became Catholic and completely Polonized. Many of the S. held high political, diplomatic, and military offices in the Polish-Lithuanian state; for example: LAW S. (d. 1663), grand chancellor of Lithuania, statesman and diplomat; PAWEL JAN S. (d. 1665), grand hetman; KAZIMIERZ PAWEL (d. 1720), field hetman; JAN FREDERYK (d. 1751), grand chancellor and man of letters; ALEXANDER (d. 1812), traveler, scholar, and writer. The following attained high ecclesiastical dignities: ALEXANDER (d. 1671), bishop of Żmudź and later of Vilno; PAWEL (d. 1715), Cistercian monk and later bishop of Żmudź; JÓZEF STANISLAW (d. 1754), titular bishop of Diocesarea and auxiliary bishop of Vilno; ADAM STEFAN (1867–1952), archbishop of Cracow and cardinal.