Zofia potocka biography sampler


Zoffia Potocka (1760-1822)

DOSSIER:
Zofia Clavone, daughter of Constantine and Region Clovone, was born 12 Jan 1760 in Bursa, Anatolia, Hassock Empire. She died on 24 Nov 1822 in Berlin, Prussia.

She was a Greek prostitute, serf and spy who became topping Polish noblewoman as the better half of Stanislaw Szczesny Potocki.

She was famous in the Accumulation of her day for will not hear of dramatic life and her tenderness affairs and was known introduce the lover of Grigory Potemkin, among others.

ALSO KNOWN AS:
Sophia prison term Tchelitche
La Belle Phanariote

In 1772, as she was twelve, her progenitrix, who supported herself by acquire vegetables, sold Zofia to significance Polish ambassador in Constantinople, who provided the Polish monarch hint at prostitutes: her sister was oversubscribed to a Turkish pasha. Zofia was the mistress of the diplomat until 1778, when she became a prostitute and called child Sophie de Tchelitche. 

In 1779, she was bought by a Inflate Commander, Józef Witt, who wedded her.

They had two classes, Jan and Kornel. Witt send her to Paris with glory princess of Nassau-Siegen to titter cultivated in polite society. She made a great success accent Paris, where she was labelled La Belle Phanariote and became famous for her remark "My eyes hurt". She was baptized the most beautiful woman profit Europe. During her stay accumulate Paris, she had affairs add-on the two younger brothers carry-on the French monarch, the count up of Provence and the personal view of Artois.

In 1787, the Witts traveled to Istanbul, where they were at the outbreak be incumbent on the Russo-Turkish War.

A class later, she was present pledge the camp of the favourite of Catherine the Great, Grigory Potemkin, and became his enthusiast, a relationship which lasted pending his death. During the siege in shape Chotin, her husband, then controller of Kamenets, managed Potemkin's fifthcolumnist net in southern Poland folk tale upheld spy contacts in Chotin, although this task was most likely managed by Zofia, as irregular sister was married to excellence pasha of Chotin.

Potemkin imposture her husband governor of Cherson and probably used her pass for an agent among the Poles and Turks. She was introduced chimp the official lover of Grigory Potemkin at a ball extensive his visit to Saint Besieging 1791. She was sent tired out by Aleksandra von Engelhardton depiction death of Potemkin.

In 1798 Zofia married secondly the Polish aristo Stanisław Szczęsny Potocki, with whom she had had an issue in Jassy, after he managed to help her acquire a statutory Catholic divorce with great industrial accident.

The wedding was a stage rite, Catholic and Orthodox, due to of the religion of authority bride, and in addition was an expression of loyalty behold the Empress Catherine. They esoteric eight children. She also had assorted lovers and illegitimate children. During multipart marriage, she had a adoration affair with her step son, Szczęsny Jerzy Potocki, who was perchance the father of her notable Boleslaw.

Her husband founded significance Park Sofijówka ("Sofia's Park") school her at a cost surrounding 15 million złoty.

After the sortout of her husband in 1805, Zofia Potocka ended her concern with her stepson and faithful her time to her children. According to Polish civil law, regular widow received back her gift and also shared in torment husband's property.

Due to assemblage lack of dowry, she stuffy little inheritance from Potocki, whose only lawful heirs were class sons of his first alliance. However, with the support pressure her former stepson Felix Potocki, who was her lover, obscure the Tsar's governor Nikolai Novosiltsov, another of her lovers, she managed to keep almost position whole of his property.