House of Sobieski


Sobieski was a prominent magnate family of Polish nobility in the 16th and 17th centuries. The family used the Janina coat of arms.

History

According to the family's legend, disproved by modern historians, it traced its lineage to a Polish duke, Leszek II the Black. Another family legend said that they were the descendants of Duke Sobiesław, the son of Leszko III, a legendary ruler of the Popielids dynasty. The family reached the height of its power and importance in the late 16th and 17th centuries, when one of its members was elected King of Poland: John III Sobieski. The last male member of the branch of the family that began with John's grandfather, Marek Sobieski, in the 16th century was Jakub Ludwik Sobieski.

Coat of arms

The Sobieski family used the Janina coat of arms, and their motto was Vel cum hoc, vel super hoc.
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, a constellation created by Jan Heweliusz to commemorate the victory of the Polish forces led by King John III in the Battle of Vienna.

Notable members

Palaces

Famous descendants

Among the descendants of John III Sobieski were one Holy Roman Emperor, seven Kings of Saxony, one King of Bavaria, two Kings of Italy, one Tsar of Bulgaria, one Emperor of Austria, one Queen consort of Spain and one titular Queen consort of England, Ireland and Scotland.

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