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In 2019, Wojciech Tygielski published a new book, the fruit of in-depth research on the relations between early modern Poland-Lithuania and Italy, and on the Italian settlement within the borders of the Commonwealth. The purpose of this discussion article is to present the biography of Giovanni Battista Jacobelli as an original narrative resulting from an unconventional methodological approach, and more broadly, as a significant example of contemporary biographical writing. Particular attention is paid to the numerous digressions that appear in the narrative, here considered a deliberate methodological procedure aimed at filling the gaps created by the relatively poor primary sources which constitute the basis of the research. Moreover, the relevance of the reviewed study from the point of view of the present day is raised, as the reviewed book prompts making comparisons between historical reality and modernday experiences, and reflecting on the permanence of certain social phenomena. The discussion article also contains comments on the extensive source edition contained in the appendix to the reviewed book. The article challenges the author’s approach to presenting the early modern Italian correspondence to the reader, and to the degree of required modernisation.

The article concerns the fate of Felicjan Karp’s family, one of the richest landowners of Samogitia (Lithuania) in the first two decades of the 20th century. After his father, he inherited approximately 40,163 hectares. The history of this family perfectly illustrates the changes that this social class has undergone in the past century. The end of their existence was the end of the landowner’s existence. The twilight of the Samogitian Karps took place quite quickly, for only a quarter of a century from July 28, 1914, the date of the outbreak of World War I to the Soviet invasion of the Republic of Lithuania on June 15, 1940. Over the course of these years - on a large scale two-fold - military operations, changes in the political and economic system, including agricultural reform initiated in the reborn Lithuanian state in 1922 and deportations to Siberia in 1940 brutally closed the last stable chapter in the life of Rekijów’s owners, definitively exterminating them after more than 348 years from the land of their ancestors. Relations between the Karp family and the Rekijów estate should be dated at least from September 21, 1592. In addition to the description of the family, it is also necessary to emphasize their significant economic and political importance in the inhabited region. These last two aspects gained momentum especially from the first years of the 19th century and were reflected until 1922. At that time, representatives of the Karp family jointly owned approximately 70,050 ha and provided the country with two provincial marshals (Vilnius, Kaunas) and two county marshals (Upita, Ponevezys). The author also presents their fate during World War II in the Siberian Gulag, during the amnesty under the Sikorski–Majski Agreement of July 30, 1941, joining the formed Polish Army in the USSR (August 14, 1941), the soldier’s journey through Kermine in Uzbekistan, Krasnovodsk, Caspian Sea, Khanaqin in Iraq, Palestine to the military camp near Tel-Aviv and then Egypt and the entire Italian campaign, that is the battles of Monte Cassino, Loreto and Ancona. After the war, leaving Italy to England (1946), followed by a short stay in Argentina and finally settling in Perth, Australia.

This review discusses the collective monograph Emigrantai: kalba ir tapatybė (Emigrants: Language and identity), authored by a team of Lithuanian Studies scholars led by Vilnius University professor Meilutė Ramonienė and published in Vilnius in 2015. The volume brings the results of studies on the functioning of the Lithuanian language among emigrants conducted in 2011–2013, and presents its situation in North and South America, Australia, Africa and different European countries (Great Britain, Germany, Norway, Denmark, Spain, France, Luxembourg, Italy and others). The study only excludes Lithuanian diaspora in Eastern European countries. The volume is based on a vast empirical base consisting of 20,206 sociolinguistic questionnaires (including 66 questions each) and 177 interviews (conducted in person or via Skype). The authors set out to study the linguistic behaviour and identity background of Lithuanian emigrants, and pursue a number of particular objectives: to define the scope of Lithuanian language use in various countries of the world, to acquire the data about its functioning in different spheres, to identify factors which decide about its preservation, to describe the relations between language, identity and a sense of cultural belonging. All these issues are discussed in different chapters of the book. In their studies, Lithuanian researchers applied very modern approaches, inspired by various theoretical concepts of Western sociolinguistics.

Straipsnyje aptarti tiriamojo projekto „Egodokumentinis Lietuvos palikimas“ (lietuviškas akronimas Legedok. angliškas – Legedoc), vykdyto Vilniaus universiteto 2010-2013 m. kartu su Mikalojaus Koperniko universiteto (Torunė, Lenkija) mokslininkais, rezultatai. tarp svarbiausiųjų paminėtini: problemų, kuriant Legedok duomenų bazę išaiškinimas, paieškos sistematizacija, egodokumentinio palikimo klasifikacija, darbas ruošiant ir išleidžiant fundamentalius šaltinius. Pati Legedok idėja gimė Bordo (Prancūzija), kur 2008 m. vyko konferencija „Asmeninė korespondencija Europos kontekste“. Egodokumentų paieška buvo sėkminga. Nustatyta, kad iš 84 valstybinių Lenkijos archyvų lituanistinė medžiaga yra 16 archyvų, juose peržvelgti ir giliau ištirti 84 [rankraščių] kompleksai. Egodokumentų Lietuvoje surasta ne tik giminių fonduose ir dokumentų kolekcijose, bet ir valstybinių institucijų (pvz. Lietuvos Vyriausiojo Tribunolo knygose) fonduose. Vykdant šį projektą, išleisti 4 leidiniai: straipsnių rinkinys „Egodokumentai ir privati erdvė Lietuvoje XVI-XX amžiuje“, „Apaštališkas Juozapo Mikalojaus Karpio laiškas Žemaičių vyskupystės kunigams“, „Mykolo Butlerio kelionės į Italiją ir Vokietiją 1779-1780 m. dienoraštis“ ir „Juozapo Jurgio Hilzeno kelionės 1752-1754 m. dienoraštis“. Šios knygos leidžiamos kaip serija, kuri bus tęsiama. Ateities perspektyvoje yra galimybė prisijungti prie prie mokslo informacinių ir kultūrinio palikimo struktūrų ne tik Lietuvoje, bet ir Europoje.

Lietuvos Didžiojoje Kunigaikštystėje italų menininkai dirbo nuo XVI a. pradžios, juos globojo didysis kunigaikštis Žygimantas Senasis. Jo ir sūnaus Žygimanto Augusto fundacijų dėka Vilnius tapo svarbiu Florencijos-Romos renesanso centru. Pradžioje menininkai atvykdavo į Lietuvą per Krokuvą. XVII a. pradžioje, keičiantis meno suvokimo situacijai Lenkijoje, svarbiais kultūriniais centrais tapo Liublinas, vėliau – Varšuva. Tuo laikotarpiu menininkai į Lietuvą dažniausiai atvykdavo iš Italijos-Šveicarijos pasienio regiono. XVII a. dauguma jų darbų priklausė avangardui ir šiuo požiūriu lenkų menininkai dažniausiai nesekė. Italų menininkų kūryba buvo labai reikšminga Lietuvos-Vilniaus vėlyvojo baroko ir klasicizmo judėjimams. Italian artists have been working on the territory of Grand Duke of Lithuania since the beginning of the 16th century, which is associated with patronage of Sigismund the Old. Thanks to him and to the foundations of his follower Sigismund Augustus, Vilnius became an important centre of Florentine-Roman Renaissance. At first artists were coming to Lithuania through Cracow. Lublin and later Warsaw were important centres at the turn of the 17th century together with the changing artistic situation in Poland. In those days artists, who came to Lithuania, were mostly from Italian-Swiss border. In the 17th century much of their work fit into avant-garde artistic undertakings and from this point of view often Polish art did not follow suit. Italian artists' activity is also very important for Lithuanian-Vilnius movements of late Baroque and Classicism.

Poland and Lithuania, renascent in 1918, faced the problem of regulating mutual relations. Talks initiated in 1918 ended in a fiasco. The obstacles included the demarcation of a frontier between the two states and bilateral relations. In April 1919 the absence of an agreement led to the occupation of Wilno by the Polish Army, a move opposed by the Lithuanians who embarked upon an attempt at resolving the controversy with the assistance of the Paris Peace Conference. Polish defeats at the time of Polish–Bolshevik war resulted in the Lithuanian forces occupying large territories. This, in turn, inclined the Polish government to complain to the League of Nations. Seeking a solution, on 28 October 1920 the Council of the League of Nations decided to hold a plebiscite. In order to guarantee a proper course of the plebiscite, the controversial territory was to welcome international truce forces, a total of about 1500 men: contingents from the UK, Belgium, France, Spain, Italy, Sweden, Norway and Denmark. The decision concerning the Danish detachment was made on 4 December 1920. The commander of the hundred soldiers was Captain C. H. Jørgensen. At the beginning of December 1920 work was initiated on outfitting the detachment. Despite the absence of a clear–cut situation concerning the term of the plebiscite, the detachment was created and at the beginning of May 1921 the company started training. The lack of interest in the plebiscite on the Polish and Lithuanian side resulted in the League of Nations resigning from this particular form of settlement of the dispute in favour of direct negotiations. The Danish company was dissolved. The affiliation of the region of Wilno to Poland was ultimately resolved by a “mutiny” of detachments under General L. Żeligowski, the creation of so-called Central Lithuania, and a decision passed by the Wilno Sejm to incorporate the region into the Republic of Poland.

1677 m. rugpjūtį Vilniaus vaivada, Lietuvos Didžiosios Kunigaikštystės vicekancleris ir etmonas Mykolas Kazimieras Radvila kartu su žmona Kotryna Sobieskyte iškeliavo į Italiją. Daugiau kaip prieš metus Jonas Sobieskis nusprendė patikėti kunigaikščiui paklusnumo pasiuntinio (pagarbai išreikšti) pas Inocentą XI funkciją. 1678 m. vasario 20 d. kunigaikštis įvažiavo į miestą inkognito, su 200 asmenų palyda, o po kelių dienų, lydint kelioms dešimtims karietų, įvyko jo ištaigingas įžengimas, kuriame dalyvavo Prancūzijos ambasados, kardinolo Abiejų Tautų Respublikos globėjo Piętro Vidoni atstovai ir gausi Romos aristokratija. Mieste prie Tibro kunigaikščių pora dalyvavo audiencijose pas popiežių ir daugybėje bažnytinių iškilmių, tarp kitų – mišiose šv. Kazimiero garbei lenkų bažnyčioje. Taip pat aplankė septynias Romos bazilikas, apžiūrėjo miestą ir jo apylinkes. Per audienciją pas Inocentą XI tikriausiai buvo kalbama apie antiturkišką lygą ir apie laukiamas popiežiaus subsidijas Abiejų Tautų Respublikai, o Švedijos karalienės Kristinos vizitas tapo pretekstu kelti klausimą apie vadinamųjų „neapolietiškų lėšų“ grąžinimą. Kunigaikščio ištaigingo įvažiavimo į miestą ir iškilmių aprašymai tuometiniuose memuaruose ir Avvisi di Roma yra ypač vertingi archyviniai šaltiniai, bylojantys iki šiol Radviloms skirtoje literatūroje nepažymėtų įvykių detales. Be to, Lietuvos didiko lankymasis Corte di Roma yra įdomus kultūros ir papročių istorijos fragmentas, įrašytas prabangiame XVII a. Romos pasaulietinių ir sakralinių iškilmių kalendoriuje. In August 1677, Vilnius Voivode, Vice-Chancellor of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and Hetman Michał Kazimierz Radziwiłł together with wife Katarzyna Sobieska went to Italy. More than a year ago, John III Sobieski decided to entrust to the duke the function of an obedience envoy (expressing respect) to Pope Innocent XI. On 20 Feburary 1678, the duke arrived at the city incognito with an escort of 200 persons, and after a few days, accompanied by tens of carriages, his sumptuous entry into the city took place with participation of representatives of the French Embassy, Cardinal, Guardian of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth Piętro Vidoni and numerous Roman aristocracy. In the city near the Tiber, the princely couple attended audiences with the Pope and many church ceremonies, among others - masses at a Polish church in honour of St. Casimir. They also visited seven Roman basilicas, toured the city and its surroundings. During an audience with Pope Innocent XI, they were probably talking about the anti-Turkish league and about expected subsidies of the Pope for the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, and the visit of Queen of Sweden Christina became the pretext to question of returning the so-called “Neapolitan funds”. Descriptions of the duke’s sumptuous entry into the city and ceremonies in memoirs of those times and Avvisi di Roma are particularly valuable archival sources pointing out details of events unmarked until now in literature for the Radziwiłłs. In addition, the visit of the Lithuanian nobleman to Corte di Roma is an interesting fragment of cultural and customs history included in the luxurious calendar of Roman secular and sacred ceremonies of the 17th c.

Po Vladislovo Vazos valdymo Vilnius, kaip ir Varšuva bei Krokuva, buvo pats svarbiausias baroko laikinų meno formų centras jungtinėje Lietuvos-Lenkijos valstybėje ir taip pat svarbiausia teatrinių bei parateatrinių įvykių vieta. 1636 m. vasarą Vilniuje vyko šventinė procesija, kurios metu Šv. Kazimiero palaikai buvo perkelti į naują koplyčią, pastatytą priešais katedrą. Centrinėje navoje buvo sukonstruotas tempjeto pavidalo katafalkas šventojo palaikams. Jo kompozicija grįsta romėnų projektais, sukurtais popiežių laidojimo progomis. Procesijoje dalyvavo karalius ir jo svita, LDK pasaulietinė ir religinė aukštuomenė, vienuolija, kareiviai ir miestiečių minia. Deja, šio renginio scenarijaus autorius nežinomas. Po trijų savaičių Valdovų rūmuose parodyta muzikinė drama Il ratto di Helena, kuriai sukurta laikina scena buvo aprūpinta inovatyviomis teatrinėmis mašinomis: besikeičiančios dekoracijos priešais žiūrovų akis, aktorių keltuvai, specialių akustinių ir vizualinių efektų įranga ir kt. Taip pat sukurta įspūdinga scenografija: žiūrovui priešais akis atsivėrė didingi Spartos karaliaus rūmai, parkai su veikiančiais fontanais, jūros peizažas su tolstančiais laivais, debesyse sklendžiantys Olimpo dievai. Under Wladyslaw IV Waza, Vilnius, alongside Warsaw and Cracow, was the most important centre of Baroque temporary art forms in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and also a significant place for theatrical and paratheatrical events. In the summer of 1636 a celebratory procession took place there, during which the relics of St. Casimir were moved to a new chapel which had been built beside the cathedral by Zygmunt Waza and completed by his descendants during the first years of his rule. On the 13th of August in a central nave of the cathedral, a tempietto shape catafalque with cupolas on its eight columns was erected where the remains of the saint were placed. The composition of the catafalque was based on Roman projects created for the funeral occasions of the deaths of Popes Sixtus V, Gregory XV, Paul V, Urban VIII and father Carl Barberini. The next day after High Mass in the streets of the decorated city, a-four hour long procession passed through the six triumphal gates. [...] The unknown author of this celebrations scenario made reference to the tradition of Roman Baroque festival, with this celebration recalling more the ceremony of the Popes taking the throne of St. Peter and the festive processions and entries of worldly rulers than it did the traditional pompa funebris ceremonies. On 4th of September in 1636, the first musical drama ("dramma in música") of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania - Ratto di Helena was held for the ruler's court. It is one of the earliest examples of that genre to be produced outside the boundaries of Italy and from 1639 it was called as opera. In one of the halls of the ruler's palace a temporary stage was equiped with innovative theatrical machines: periaktoi and prospectus which changed the decorations before the eyes of the audience (this was called "mutations"). There were raisers which lifted the actors above the stage and also equipment for special acoustic and visual effects. This performance was admired by the theatrical aficionado nuncio Mario Filonardi, who sent a report full of ravishing praise to Rome. [...] On the 6th of March in 1644 a performance L'Andromeda was shown and on the 16th of April in 1648 on the occasion of the arrival of Ludwika Maria Gonzaga, the last play of Wladyslaw Waza's time was shown - Circe Delusa, in which an earthquake, tempest with lightning, rain and hail were demonstrated - all very rare effects in the stage design of the Baroque. These Vilnius pageants were created by the palace stage designer and architect Agostino Locci whose career was formed in Rome, within the patronal environment of Francesco and Antonio Baberini, the relatives of Urban VIII. Locci knew and adapted the technical achievements of the leading centres of Italian scenography in the Baroque, especially those achievements of its most important creators, such as Francesco Guitti, the stagings of whom influenced the scenography of the afore mentioned performances.

Straipsnyje apibendrinama ankstesnių tyrinėtojų pateikta medžiaga apie Šv. Kazimiero koplyčios prie Vilniaus katedros statybą, remiantis literatūra bei naujais šaltinių duomenimis, iš naujo aptariama šios statybos eiga XVII a. pirmoje pusėje. Argumentuojama, jog pagrindiniu koplyčios fundatoriumi laikytinas Lietuvos didysis kunigaikštis, Lenkijos karalius Zigmantas III Vaza, pagrindžiama nuomonė, kad jo valdymo metais koplyčia buvo iš esmės pastatyta (pagrindinių statybos darbų baigimo data laikomi 1632 m.), o jo įpėdinis Vladislovas IV Vaza surengė tik iškilminga šv. karalaičio Kazimiero palaikų perkėlimo ceremoniją, bet prie pačios koplyčios puošybos prisidėjo žymiai mažiau. XVII a. pirmos pusės koplyčios meninė įranga neišliko, todėl iki šiol mokslinėje litaratūroje pirmam koplyčios statybos etapui buvo skiriama mažiau dėmesio. Vis dėlto kruopščiai surinkti, nors ir negausūs, rašytiniai šaltiniai padeda įsivaizduoti ir įvertinti šio išskirtinio kūrinio meninę verte. Publikacijos autorius siekia kuo nuodugniau atskleisti Šv. Kazimiero koplyčios - vieno iš svarbiausių ankstyvojo baroko paminklų Vidurio Europoje - statybos kultūrines, politines ir menines aplinkybes. Nemažai dėmesio skiriama statybos darbų organizavimo klausimams aptarti. Pagrindiniais Zigmanto III Vazos sumanymo vykdytojais straipsnio autorius laiko iš Italijos į LDK atvykusį Konstantiną Tenkalą (Tencalla) bei jam talkinusį brolį Jokūbą. Dekoro ikonografinė programa atskleidžia, kad viena svarbiausių tuometinės koplyčios puošybos temų buvo susieta su kovomis dėl Smolensko ir šv. Kazimiero, kaip riterio ir Tėvynės gynėjo, įvaizdžiu. Straipsnyje plačiai naudojamasi įdomiu rašytiniu šaltiniu - Petrui Nonhardto pateikta Šv. Kazimiero koplyčios ir kitų darbų Vilniaus pilyje išlaidų 1623-1631 m. apyskaita, skirta LDK paiždininkiui Steponui Pacui ir pasirašyta kanauninko Pranciškaus Dolmato Isaikovskio (dokumento nuorašas publikuojamas straipsnio prieduose). Publikacijoje keliami klausimai ir pateikiami svarstymai vertingai papildo žinias apie Vazų valdymo laikų Vilniaus meninį gyvenimą ir atskleidžia Šv. Kazimiero koplyčios reikšmę ankstyvojo baroko raidai LDK. The article summarizes the material gathered by former investigators regarding the building of St Casimir's Chapel in Vilnius Cathedral. Using as reference existing literature and newly discovered sources, the process of the building of this chapel in the first half of the 17th century is discussed. The author contends that the Great Duke of Lithuania and the King of Poland Sigismund III Vasa was the main founder of this chapel. Furthermore, the argument is put forward that the chapel was essentially built during the years of his rule (the end of the basic building works is considered to date to 1632), and that his son Vladislaus IV Vasa organized only the solemn ceremony of the transfer of the remains of the prince St Casimir and contributed to a lesser degree to the decoration of this chapel. The artistic interior of this chapel that dated to the first half of the 17th century did not survive. Consequently, the first stage of the building process of this chapel has, until now, received less attention in the scientific literature that covers this Chapel. However, the meticulously collected, though hardly plentiful written sources help us to imagine and estimate the artistic value of this exclusive work of art. The author of this publication aims to thoroughly reveal the cultural, political and artistic circumstances of the building of St Casimir's Chapel - one of the most important monuments of the early Baroque in Middle Europe. A lot of attention is given to a discussion of the organizational works of the building. Constantine Tencalla, who arrived in the GDL from Italy, and his assistant and brother Jacob, are considered as the main builders of the Sigismund III Vasa's project by the author of this article. The iconographical program of decor reveals that the most important themes for the decoration of a chapel at that time was related to the struggles for Smolensk and the image of St Casimir as a knight and defender of his native land. The accounts of the expenses of the St Casimir's Chapel works and other works in Vilnius Castle between 1623 and 1631, presented by Peter Nonhardt for Stephanus Pac, the treasurer of the GDL, and signed by the canon Franciscus Dolmat Isajkowski (the transcription of this document is published in the appendixes of this article) are widely used a written source of considerable note in this article. The issues raised in this publication and the considerations presented in the article are a valuable complement to the knowledge of Vilnius artistic life under the rule of the Vasas, and reveal the importance of the St Casimir's Chapel to the development of the early Baroque in the GDL.