Reception of Polish Court Ceremony in the Light of An Account of Poland by Gaspard de Tende

Abstract

Gaspard de Tende was one of the Frenchmen at the court of the Queen Marie Louise Gonzaga in Warsaw. During his more than twenty years’ residence in the territory of the Commonwealth, he studied the Polish-Lithuanian state. He gathered the results of several years of observation in his book An Account of Poland. On the pages of his work, de Tende devoted considerable attention to customary matters. This article is an attempt to present the image, and therefore the ceremony, which Gaspard de Tende depicted in his work. Describing weddings and funerals, the author tried to present a picture of family celebrations organized by the inhabitants of the Crown and Lithuania. His attention was also caught by the wealth and vigor with which people organized occasional feasts. The celebrations he described also include a coronation ceremony.