House of Wincenty Ignacy Marewicz

Wincenty Ignacy Marewicz was a prolific, yet clearly undervalued and even ridiculed writer. His life, which he himself so honestly depicted, resembled a string of failures. As a poor nobleman, he constantly sought the support of the powerful, longed for a “little plot of land,” dreamed of a family, and even created a project of family life, but the women he loved rejected him.

In early 1791 Marewicz’s work eventually bore tangible fruit. Castellan of Vilnius Maciej Radziwilłł, one of the nobles Marewicz dedicated his book to, awarded the writer with enough money to buy a house and a plot of land nearby the present-day Lukiškės Square.

On 3 May 1792, as the Commonwealth was celebrating the first year of the Constitution, Marewicz adorned his backyard in as sophisticated a manner as he could. He made a small hill and named it Mount Stanisław in honour of the King Stanisław August Poniatowski. The hill was topped with decorations symbolizing the social structure and the equality of classes, stipulated by the Constitution.

Just several weeks later, as Russians were advancing on Vilnius, the writer donated his house and land for the needs of the army of the Commonwealth. Moreover, he gave 269 złotys in cash and hundreds of books worth another 2,000 złotys for the defense of the city. He also bought equipment, which included a firearm, a horse, and a hussar uniform, for a volunteer. Eventually, in 1794, he took part – together with his wife – in the national insurrection against Russian occupation led by Tadeusz Kosciuszko.

Learn more about the honest graphomaniac from Vilnius by clicking this link.

Address: Pakalnės str.