Marie, Countess Walewski
Encyclopedia
Maria Countess Walewska (née Łączyńska; 7 December 1786, Kiernozia
– 11 December 1817, Paris
) was a Polish noblewoman and a mistress of Emperor Napoleon. In her later years she married count Philippe Antoine d'Ornano
, an influential Napoleonic officer.
of Gostyń; her mother came from the wealthy Zaborowski family. Maria had six siblings: Benedykt Jozef, Hieronim, Teodor, Honorata, Katarzyna and Urszula-Teresa. She grew up in her ancestral home, Kiernozia, where she also received her education. Interestingly, Nicholas Chopin, Frederic Chopin
's father, was one of her tutors.
In 1805 she married Athenasius count Colonna-Walewski, starosta of Warka district and a once-chamberlain
to the last Polish king, Stanisław August Poniatowski. Walewski was a wealthy landowner, but was four times older than his young bride. Maria and Athenasius had one son, Antoni Rudolf Bazyli Colonna-Walewski, although it is believed by some historians that he was an illegitimate child, conceived shortly before Maria's marriage.
They met again at a ball hosted by count Stanislaw Potocki in his Warsaw residence. Although Maria was initially reluctant to become Napoleon's mistress, she was convinced to do so by marshal Géraud Duroc
and a number of Polish aristocrats, who hoped that she could influence the emperor to support Poland in its struggle to regain independence from Prussia
, the Austro-Hungarian Empire and the Russian Empire
. In her memoirs, Maria maintained that she forced herself to get involved with Napoleon for purely patriotic reasons:
“The sacrifice was complete. It was all about harvesting fruit now, achieving this one single equivalence [convincing Napoleon to support Polish independence movement], which could excuse my wystepna position. This was the thought that possessed me. Ruling over my will it did not allow me to fall under the weight of my bad consciousness and sadness.”
The affair was initially kept secret, even though unofficially it was one of the most widely commented news in Warsaw's higher circles. Walewska visited Napoleon, residing in the capital's Royal Castle, only at nights and would secretly leave the building each morning. The relationship progressed when Napoleon moved to his field headquarters in Finckenstein Palace
in East Prussia
(now Kamieniec Suski, Poland): Maria followed him there and they moved into neighouring apartments. As Maria was extraordinarily pious for her times, they still maintained apparent secrecy: she refused to leave the part of the building in which they lived, fearing being seen by officers surrounding Napoleon, many of whom were her acquaintances or relatives.
In 1809 Maria followed Napoleon during his journey to Vienna, where she lived in a house near Schönbrunn Palace
, Napoleon's residence. During the sejour in Vienna she fell pregnant and returned to Walewice in order to give birth to her second son, Alexandre Joseph. Although Alexandre was unquestionably a product of Maria's affair with Bonaparte, he was legalised by the old count Athenasius and thus bore the name of the counts of Colonna-Walewski.
In 1810 Napoleon returned to Paris, where he was soon joined by Maria. She settled in a palatial residence in the Rue de Montmorency and was given a large rent of 120 000 francs and a permission to enter all of the imperial museums, but her previous relationship with Napoleon ended. Bonaparte planned to divorce Josephine
and instead marry Marie Louise, Duchess of Parma
and maintaining an affair with another woman seemed inappropriate. Her and her son's future were nevertheless ascertained by the grant of large land estates in the Kingdom of Naples
.
In 1816 Maria married her longtime admirer and lover, Philippe Antoine d'Ornano
, count d'Ornano. They settled in Liege
, as d'Ornano did not want to return to Paris due to his pro-Napoleonic allegiances. In 1817 Maria gave birth to count d'Ornano's son, Rudolph Augustus, and she died shortly afterwards due to a prolonged kidney illness. Before her death, she completed her memoirs, which were addressed to her husband. Upon request from her Polish relatives her body was exhumed from the Père Lachaise graveyard in Paris and moved to her family crypt in Kiernozia.
Marie Walewska also had a niece, named Barth, who lived in Bergen
, Norway
. The Walewska family thus has descendants in Norway living today.
In the 1930s her adventures were once again described by her descendant, Antoine Philippe Rodolphe, 4th count d'Ornano in a book entitled 'Marie Walewska, "l'ėpouse polonaise de Napolėon"'. It was a belletristic biography that until mid-20th century was considered as a key source on Walewska, as Antoine d'Ornano claimed that it was based on never published documents remaining in the archives of La Branchoire, the family castle.
Count d'Ornano's account presented Maria as a devout patriot and an influential political figure. His book claimed that she was involved in taking major political decisions related to the development of Duchy of Warsaw
and engaged herself in disputes with figures such as Józef Poniatowski or Joachim Lelewel
. These allegations immediately spurred controversy among Polish historians, who noticed that both, the described events and the dates quoted by d'Ornano seemed unlikely.
Biographer Marian Brandys attempted to deal with some of these doubts in his book “The troubles with Lady Walewska” and he went as far as questioning the very existence of documents from La Branchoire. His main argument was that the facts presented in the book were unrealistic in light of broader historical knowledge about Napoleonic campaigns and the politics of the Duchy of Warsaw. He also noted the numerous discrepancies between the French and English editions of the book.
D'Ornano's book had an equally profound effect on the historian circles in France. In 1950s Jean Savant, a renowned historian and writer, wrote a book about Walewska in which he attempted to recreate a scientific biography of Maria Walewska. Before publishing the book, he printed certain extracts from it in Elle
, a popular woman's magazine, which resulted in a famous lawsuit from count d'Ornano and his descendants.
The dispute revolved around copyright issues: Savant allowed the publication of extracts from his work, which included alleged excerpts from Maria's own accounts, taken from d'Ornano's book. However, he failed to appropriately reference them. Antoine d'Ornano sued him for illegally appropriating contents taken from “Marie Walewska, "l'ėpouse polonaise de Napolėon"”, and when Antoine died, his descendants claimed that the aforementioned extracts were not historical source materials, as Savant claimed, but merely an invention of the author. The legal battle continued for a few years, and it was put to an end by Cour de Cassation which decided that Savant acted legally.
Interestingly, d'Ornano family never allowed any historian to come into contact with the alleged Walewska archives. During the lawsuit they maintained that in fact, the documents never existed. However, Savant in his next book “l'Affaire Walewska” attempted to prove the contrary.
Kiernozia
Kiernozia is a village in Łowicz County, Łódź Voivodeship, in central Poland. It is the seat of the gmina called Gmina Kiernozia...
– 11 December 1817, Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
) was a Polish noblewoman and a mistress of Emperor Napoleon. In her later years she married count Philippe Antoine d'Ornano
Philippe Antoine d'Ornano
Philippe Antoine d'Ornano, 1st Comte d'Ornano was a French soldier and political figure who rose to the rank of Marshal of France. He was made Count d'Ornano of the French Empire in 1808...
, an influential Napoleonic officer.
Early life
Maria was born into a wealthy noble family. Her father, who died before she was born, was a landowner and starostaStarosta
Starost is a title for an official or unofficial position of leadership that has been used in various contexts through most of Slavic history. It can be translated as "elder"...
of Gostyń; her mother came from the wealthy Zaborowski family. Maria had six siblings: Benedykt Jozef, Hieronim, Teodor, Honorata, Katarzyna and Urszula-Teresa. She grew up in her ancestral home, Kiernozia, where she also received her education. Interestingly, Nicholas Chopin, Frederic Chopin
Frédéric Chopin
Frédéric François Chopin was a Polish composer and virtuoso pianist. He is considered one of the great masters of Romantic music and has been called "the poet of the piano"....
's father, was one of her tutors.
In 1805 she married Athenasius count Colonna-Walewski, starosta of Warka district and a once-chamberlain
Chamberlain (office)
A chamberlain is an officer in charge of managing a household. In many countries there are ceremonial posts associated with the household of the sovereign....
to the last Polish king, Stanisław August Poniatowski. Walewski was a wealthy landowner, but was four times older than his young bride. Maria and Athenasius had one son, Antoni Rudolf Bazyli Colonna-Walewski, although it is believed by some historians that he was an illegitimate child, conceived shortly before Maria's marriage.
Affair with Napoleon
Maria met Napoleon Bonaparte for the first time in 1806 in Błonie, or in Jabłonna. According to Maria's own memoirs, she spoke briefly with the French emperor, but the meeting was inconclusive. However, Napoleon remembered her for her extraordinary beauty and requested to see her in Warsaw, intending to start an affair with her.They met again at a ball hosted by count Stanislaw Potocki in his Warsaw residence. Although Maria was initially reluctant to become Napoleon's mistress, she was convinced to do so by marshal Géraud Duroc
Geraud Duroc
Géraud Christophe Michel Duroc, 1st Duc de Frioul was a French general noted for his association with Napoleon.-Life and work:...
and a number of Polish aristocrats, who hoped that she could influence the emperor to support Poland in its struggle to regain independence from Prussia
Prussia
Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...
, the Austro-Hungarian Empire and the Russian Empire
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
. In her memoirs, Maria maintained that she forced herself to get involved with Napoleon for purely patriotic reasons:
“The sacrifice was complete. It was all about harvesting fruit now, achieving this one single equivalence [convincing Napoleon to support Polish independence movement], which could excuse my wystepna position. This was the thought that possessed me. Ruling over my will it did not allow me to fall under the weight of my bad consciousness and sadness.”
The affair was initially kept secret, even though unofficially it was one of the most widely commented news in Warsaw's higher circles. Walewska visited Napoleon, residing in the capital's Royal Castle, only at nights and would secretly leave the building each morning. The relationship progressed when Napoleon moved to his field headquarters in Finckenstein Palace
Finckenstein Palace
The Finckenstein Palace was a baroque palace, projected by the architect John von Collas between 1716 and 1720 in former East Prussia, today Poland...
in East Prussia
East Prussia
East Prussia is the main part of the region of Prussia along the southeastern Baltic Coast from the 13th century to the end of World War II in May 1945. From 1772–1829 and 1878–1945, the Province of East Prussia was part of the German state of Prussia. The capital city was Königsberg.East Prussia...
(now Kamieniec Suski, Poland): Maria followed him there and they moved into neighouring apartments. As Maria was extraordinarily pious for her times, they still maintained apparent secrecy: she refused to leave the part of the building in which they lived, fearing being seen by officers surrounding Napoleon, many of whom were her acquaintances or relatives.
In 1809 Maria followed Napoleon during his journey to Vienna, where she lived in a house near Schönbrunn Palace
Schönbrunn Palace
Schönbrunn Palace is a former imperial 1,441-room Rococo summer residence in Vienna, Austria. One of the most important cultural monuments in the country, since the 1960s it has been one of the major tourist attractions in Vienna...
, Napoleon's residence. During the sejour in Vienna she fell pregnant and returned to Walewice in order to give birth to her second son, Alexandre Joseph. Although Alexandre was unquestionably a product of Maria's affair with Bonaparte, he was legalised by the old count Athenasius and thus bore the name of the counts of Colonna-Walewski.
In 1810 Napoleon returned to Paris, where he was soon joined by Maria. She settled in a palatial residence in the Rue de Montmorency and was given a large rent of 120 000 francs and a permission to enter all of the imperial museums, but her previous relationship with Napoleon ended. Bonaparte planned to divorce Josephine
Joséphine de Beauharnais
Joséphine de Beauharnais was the first wife of Napoléon Bonaparte, and thus the first Empress of the French. Her first husband Alexandre de Beauharnais had been guillotined during the Reign of Terror, and she had been imprisoned in the Carmes prison until her release five days after Alexandre's...
and instead marry Marie Louise, Duchess of Parma
Marie Louise, Duchess of Parma
Marie Louise of Austria was the second wife of Napoleon I, Emperor of the French and later Duchess of Parma...
and maintaining an affair with another woman seemed inappropriate. Her and her son's future were nevertheless ascertained by the grant of large land estates in the Kingdom of Naples
Kingdom of Naples
The Kingdom of Naples, comprising the southern part of the Italian peninsula, was the remainder of the old Kingdom of Sicily after secession of the island of Sicily as a result of the Sicilian Vespers rebellion of 1282. Known to contemporaries as the Kingdom of Sicily, it is dubbed Kingdom of...
.
Later years
In 1812 Maria divorced count Colonna-Walewski. To facilitate it, her brother, Benedykt Jozef, admitted to forcing the marriage upon her. It remains unclear whether this was the truth, as in her memoirs Maria stated that her mother influenced her choice to marry Athenasius, possibly due to an illegitimate pregnancy. As a settlement, she and her oldest son received half of count Walewski's estates, which even though heavily indebted, represented a large wealth.In 1816 Maria married her longtime admirer and lover, Philippe Antoine d'Ornano
Philippe Antoine d'Ornano
Philippe Antoine d'Ornano, 1st Comte d'Ornano was a French soldier and political figure who rose to the rank of Marshal of France. He was made Count d'Ornano of the French Empire in 1808...
, count d'Ornano. They settled in Liege
Liege
Liège is a municipality and a city of Belgium. The term Liège or Liege may also refer to:* Liege, a party to the oath of allegiance in feudalism .* Liège Island, in the Antarctic...
, as d'Ornano did not want to return to Paris due to his pro-Napoleonic allegiances. In 1817 Maria gave birth to count d'Ornano's son, Rudolph Augustus, and she died shortly afterwards due to a prolonged kidney illness. Before her death, she completed her memoirs, which were addressed to her husband. Upon request from her Polish relatives her body was exhumed from the Père Lachaise graveyard in Paris and moved to her family crypt in Kiernozia.
Descendants
Maria Walewska left three sons:- Her son from the first marriage, count Antoni Colonna-Walewski, settled in Poland and little is known about his life.
- On the other hand, Count Alexandre Joseph Colonna-Walewski (4 May 1810 – 27 October 1868), the son that she had with Napoleon I became an important figure in the 19th century French politics: he was an influential diplomat and a cabinet minister. Interestingly, for the whole of his life he maintained that his father was Count Colonna-Walewski.
- Her third son, Rudolph d'Ornano, was also an influential figure in the French society; his descendants created the well known fragrance and cosmetics brand SisleySisleySisley may refer to:*Alfred Sisley, a French impressionist painter of English origin*Sisley, a Benetton Group brand, established in 1974*Sisley Paris, , a French cosmetics company founded in Paris in 1976 by Roland de Saint Vincent and Jean Francois Laporte, before being taken over by the famous...
.
Marie Walewska also had a niece, named Barth, who lived in Bergen
Bergen
Bergen is the second largest city in Norway with a population of as of , . Bergen is the administrative centre of Hordaland county. Greater Bergen or Bergen Metropolitan Area as defined by Statistics Norway, has a population of as of , ....
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
. The Walewska family thus has descendants in Norway living today.
Legacy
Maria's eventful life immediately attracted attention of a number of Polish and French historians. As her memoirs remained unpublished until the late 19th century, she was a subject of much speculation. The first scholar to write a complete account of her life was a French biographer Frederic Masson, who was allowed by d'Ornano family to use her memoirs.In the 1930s her adventures were once again described by her descendant, Antoine Philippe Rodolphe, 4th count d'Ornano in a book entitled 'Marie Walewska, "l'ėpouse polonaise de Napolėon"'. It was a belletristic biography that until mid-20th century was considered as a key source on Walewska, as Antoine d'Ornano claimed that it was based on never published documents remaining in the archives of La Branchoire, the family castle.
Count d'Ornano's account presented Maria as a devout patriot and an influential political figure. His book claimed that she was involved in taking major political decisions related to the development of Duchy of Warsaw
Duchy of Warsaw
The Duchy of Warsaw was a Polish state established by Napoleon I in 1807 from the Polish lands ceded by the Kingdom of Prussia under the terms of the Treaties of Tilsit. The duchy was held in personal union by one of Napoleon's allies, King Frederick Augustus I of Saxony...
and engaged herself in disputes with figures such as Józef Poniatowski or Joachim Lelewel
Joachim Lelewel
Joachim Lelewel was a Polish historian and politician, from a Polonized branch of a Prussian family.His grandparents were Heinrich Löllhöffel von Löwensprung and Constance Jauch , who later polonized her name to Lelewel.-Life:Born in Warsaw, Lelewel was educated at the Imperial University of...
. These allegations immediately spurred controversy among Polish historians, who noticed that both, the described events and the dates quoted by d'Ornano seemed unlikely.
Biographer Marian Brandys attempted to deal with some of these doubts in his book “The troubles with Lady Walewska” and he went as far as questioning the very existence of documents from La Branchoire. His main argument was that the facts presented in the book were unrealistic in light of broader historical knowledge about Napoleonic campaigns and the politics of the Duchy of Warsaw. He also noted the numerous discrepancies between the French and English editions of the book.
D'Ornano's book had an equally profound effect on the historian circles in France. In 1950s Jean Savant, a renowned historian and writer, wrote a book about Walewska in which he attempted to recreate a scientific biography of Maria Walewska. Before publishing the book, he printed certain extracts from it in Elle
Elle (magazine)
Elle is a worldwide magazine of French origin that focuses on women's fashion, beauty, health, and entertainment. Elle is also the world's largest fashion magazine. It was founded by Pierre Lazareff and his wife Hélène Gordon in 1945. The title, in French, means "she".-History:Elle was founded in...
, a popular woman's magazine, which resulted in a famous lawsuit from count d'Ornano and his descendants.
The dispute revolved around copyright issues: Savant allowed the publication of extracts from his work, which included alleged excerpts from Maria's own accounts, taken from d'Ornano's book. However, he failed to appropriately reference them. Antoine d'Ornano sued him for illegally appropriating contents taken from “Marie Walewska, "l'ėpouse polonaise de Napolėon"”, and when Antoine died, his descendants claimed that the aforementioned extracts were not historical source materials, as Savant claimed, but merely an invention of the author. The legal battle continued for a few years, and it was put to an end by Cour de Cassation which decided that Savant acted legally.
Interestingly, d'Ornano family never allowed any historian to come into contact with the alleged Walewska archives. During the lawsuit they maintained that in fact, the documents never existed. However, Savant in his next book “l'Affaire Walewska” attempted to prove the contrary.
Marie Walewska in popular culture
Her story is told in a 1937 film Conquest, also known as Marie Walewska.Further reading
- Potocka-Wąsowiczowa, Anna 'Memoirs of a witness.' Państwowy Instytut Wydawniczy, Warsaw 1965.
- d'Ornano, Antoine 'Marie Walewska, "l'ėpouse polonaise de Napolėon"', Paris 1937.
- Brandys, Marian 'The troubles with Lady Walewska' Iskry, Warsaw 1971.
- Kukiel, Marian 'The fairytale life of Maria Walewska', Warsaw 1939.
- Mauersberg, Adam 'Maria Walewska', Ateneum, Warsaw 1938.
- Masson, Frederic "Marie Walewska", E. Guillaume, Paris 1897.
External links
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Polish_monarchs
- http://www.napoleonicsociety.com/english/CountessWalewska.htm