XVIII amžiaus studijos / The Eighteenth Century Studies

The article is based on twenty-two letters written by Teresa Rachela Sapieżyna to her husband Antoni Kazimierz Sapieha, an elder of Merkinė, between April and October 1727. The article provides the context in which this correspondence arose as the letters reflect a period during which the A. K. Sapieha couple spent most of the time apart. Therefore, the letters were not only a means of maintaining an emotional relationship, but also a means of sharing updates on the work accomplished. The content of the letters shows that T. R. Sapieżyna was familiar with her spouse’s concerns: she was well acquainted with his milieu and maintained contacts with his creditors, legal advisors, and other persons close to him. Therefore, she could not only assess various situations but also advise her husband; in exceptional cases, she would act on her own, resorting to the assistance both of the relatives and the wives of A. K. Sapieha’s clients or creditors, thus forming her own circle of influence.