Montrésor Castle, France

The history of the castle in Montrésor dates back to the Middle Ages, and when Róża Branicka, Ksawery's mother, bought it in 1849, it was in a bad state of repair, but over the next twenty years Ksawery Branicki had it thoroughly renovated. He created an exquisite private residence with a collection of works of art, but also an extensive and remarkable collection of memorabilia and artwork related to Poland. Since 1852 the castle and the collection of Polish memorabilia has been open to visitors. On the lands surrounding Montrésor Ksawery Branicki created a modern farm. The castle later belonged to the related Potocki and Rey families.
Ksawery Branicki was one of the colorful figures of the Great Emigration. He came from an aristocratic family, and in his youth he served in the tsarist army, where he became an aide-de-camp to General Paskevich, who was famous for his bloody suppression of the November Uprising. Branicki left Poland and settled in France in 1847. He was an entrepreneur and financier. He generously supported Polish artists in exile and supported the Polish School in Batignolles. During the preparations for the January Uprising he raised funds and organized enlistments in France for the insurgent army.

Projects of POLONIKA Institute
- 2019 - Strategic Program RESEARCH - documentation of the Montrésor Castle collection
- 2019 - Strategic Program POPULARIZATION - a documentary from the series "Historia mówiona" [Oral History]: History and presentation of the Montrésor Castle collection