1536 POLAND (Subcarpathia) - Dubiecko Castle

Dubiecko is a village located at 36km southeast of Rzeszów, in which is situated the castle with the same name, in nowadays became hotel. The building was the birthplace of Stanislaw Stadnicki (1551-1610), a nobleman known as troublemaker, called The Devil of Łańcut for his violent behaviour. Enemy of  Jan Zamoyski, Grand Chancellor of the Crown, in 1606 he became one of the leaders of the rokosz of Zebrzydowski. After his death, his family continued the "tradition", with his wife earning the nickname of The Łańcut Devil-woman and his sons, The Łancut Devil-children. He is one of the characters on the painting by Jan Matejko: Kazanie Skargi (The Sermon of Piotr Skarga).

The castle was also the birthplace of Ignacy Krasicki (1735-1801), from 1766 Prince-Bishop of Warmia and from 1795 Archbishop of Gniezno. He was nicknamed the Prince of Poets and Poland's La Fontaine, because was the leading literary representative of the Polish Enlightenment, but also a critic of the clergy , author of the first Polish novel, playwright, journalist, encyclopedist, and translator from French and Greek. As a result, the castle is nicknamed "the birthplace of the Devil and the Bishop".

About the stamp, which is part of the series Signs of the Zodiac, I wrote here.

References
Stanisław Stadnicki - Wikipedia
Ignacy Krasicki - Wikipedia

Sender: Kazimierz Roman Leszczynski (direct swap)
Sent from Tarnobrzeg (Holy Cross / Poland), on 26.08.2013
Photo: Jacek Grzegorzak