Służba dyplomatyczna kobiet w drugiej połowie XVII wieku. Inspiracje francuskie w Rzeczypospolitej

The second half of the 17th century brought women a chance for marking their role in public life. In France, under the influence of the „quarrel des fammes” and the experiences of the courts of French queens, aristocrats became intermediaries in diplomatic activities. The ladies engaged in peace negotiations and came to the courts on missions. A breakthrough was the awarding of the extraordinary ambassadorial rank of Renée du Bec-Créspin during the trip to the Polish court. Since then, women have made more trips, even to countries as far away as Persia. In the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, unlike in France, the participation of women in the public sphere was negligible. The appearance of Ludwika Maria Gonzaga de Nevers and Maria Kazimiera d’Arquien Sobieska encouraged the ladies to take more committed diplomatic actions. The work presents the cases of Małgorzata Kotowska and Teresa Słuszkowa née Gosiewska, who undertook secret missions at European courts.