The educational journey of Adam Mikołaj Sieniawski to Western Europe (1684-1686)

In the eighties of the 17th century many young noblemen and magnates from the Polish Commonwealth of the Two Nations set out on an educational grand tour of Western Europe. The above tour constituted the last stage in the educational process of the young elites; it was embarked on for the purpose of acquiring experience, getting to know the world and unknown countries, their culture, customs and language. Adam Mikołaj Sieniawski (1666-1726), the subsequent voivode of Bełz, Grand Hetman and Castellan of Krakow also received a similar education. Initially, this son of the Crown Field Hetman Mikołaj Hieronim and Cecylia Maria Radziwiłł attended the schools in Lvov and subsequently, he began his studies at the University of Krakow. In the years 1684-1686, the young subprefect of Lvov set out on a tour of Western Europe; in the autumn of 1684, he travelled from Prague to Paris. During this journey, two governors - Fox and Woynarowski took care of the young Sieniawski. A diary of the journey conducted by two brothers, Aleksander Jan and Jan Stanisław Jabłonowski, who also visited Western Europe at the time, makes it possible to complete the missing details of Sieniawski’s stay in the capital of France. In the diary there are frequent allusions to the meetings with the young Lvov subprefect. While in Paris, Sieniawski did not only concentrate on studying but also spent time on social visits, entertainment and simply sightseeing. Towards the end of April 1685, he went for a trip to England where he participated in the coronation celebrations of James Stuart II. In the autumn of the same year, he also visited the north of France and the Netherlands. Towards the end of 1686, Adam Mikołaj Sieniawski returned to the Polish Commonwealth; one can only assume that on his way back, he also visited Rome and Venice.