The fate of Prince Władysław the White inspired artists for centuries - Matejko painted his portrait in Dijon, Kraszewski dedicated his book White Prince to him, and he was also the subject of several plays. And no wonder, as few of his contemporaries travelled as far as he did: from Lake Gopło, through papal courts and the Holy Land, to his final resting place in Dijon in Burgundy.

The Curse of the House of Kujavian Princes
. Władysław Biały, Duke of Kuyavia by God's grace, lord of Gniewkowo and the land of Słońsk, also known as Włodek Gniewkowski, was the last representative of the Kuyavian Piasts who lived from 1327 (1333?)-1388, and also the uncle of Saint Jadwiga, the Queen.

When Boleslaw the Wry-mouthed died in 1138, Kuyavia with Mazovia formed one district, which was ruled by the Mazovian prince Leszek until his death. In 1186, he died childless, and from then on, the two principalities separated. Ladislaus the White's father, Casimir III Gniewkowski, was Ladislaus the Short's nephew and his faithful ally, although this was not always to his advantage. Suffice it to say that he lost his lands every now and then. First, the Teutonic Knights took Tczew from him, and then he himself burnt down Gniewkowo to prevent it from falling prey to the invaders. In addition, he got into a dispute with the wealthy clergy, for which the family of Kujavian dukes was castigated with ecclesiastical anathemas, which was quite a popular form of disciplining rulers at the time.

It is not known why, but Ladislaus could not find a place anywhere for long. After the unexpected death of his wife, he began a wandering peregrination. He made a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, visited Prague and Germany, took part in a crusade against pagan Lithuania, and then, as an ally of Philip the Bold, Duke of Burgundy, was admitted to the Cistercian Order, only to move a few months later to the less restrictive Benedictines.

The Riddles of Prince Ladislaus the White
. Those who think that the Duke of Kuyavia found his place on earth are mistaken. As soon as the opportunity arose, in disguise - the abbot did not allow him to break his monastic vows and leave - he left France for Poland. In 1373 he regained his fief, though not for long. He still tried to fight for Gniewkowo, Zlotoria and Raciąż - here too he was assisted by Philip the Bold - but in vain. After that, Władysław Biały made several more attempts to regain his fief, but without much success, and the wound received by the prince-benedictine in the battle of Złotoria was one of the causes of his death.

However, the family curse was also felt here. Until almost the last years of the 20th century, it was believed that the lord of Gniewkowo died on March 1, 1388. It was only thanks to the research work of Professor Kazimierz Jasiński that the inscription on Władysław Biały's tombstone could be read correctly. He proved that the inscription "[Anno] Dni MCCC octuagesimo octavo 1 Kal. Martii" should be translated as "the day before 1 March 1388". That year was a leap year, so the deceased was still buried in February, not March as thought.

Tombstone of Ladislaus the White in Dijon - a more durable monument than that of limestone
Wladyslaw White's last wish was to be buried among his fellow monks in the Cathedral of St Benigny in Dijon. Interestingly, other greats were also laid to rest there, such as St. Gregory of Langres or the Duke of Burgundy, John II Without Dread - but always in beautiful, spacious tombstones with elaborate statues.

It is different in the case of Piast - his final resting place is simply decorated with a tombstone. Thanks to preserved engravings, we know that it once had ornaments on it. The central part of the epitaph, engraved in limestone, features the figure of Władysław - modestly dressed, in a monastic habit with a hood, with prayerfully folded hands and without the long white locks we know from earlier images. Above his head we find three angels. The central one holds a crown, but it is depicted in such a way that at times it may appear that the prince has a mandorla (almond-shaped) halo, although this is only an illusion caused by the ornamental richness of the background. The angel on the left holds a shield with the coat of arms of the Kuyavian Piasts (this is the so-called early type, a half-left-half-horn, still without a crown), while the angel on the right holds a shield with the image of a young man wearing a crown. In addition, the extreme angelic figures are incensing the central figure with small incense sticks.

All three angels are seated on symbolic clouds, but the viewer's attention is drawn to the central one, which is disproportionately bulky, even swollen; probably an unintentional vis comica by the artist. Let us also look at the feet of the figures. In keeping with the custom of the time, they are clad in long slippers, which are trampled by two lions. These animals in Judeo-Christian symbolism were a symbol not only of strength and power, but also of arrogance and pride. The background behind the figure is filled with rich ornamentation, leaving no free space, and fitting into it are the halves of the monk's cloak decorated with campanulas (bells) unusually turned upwards. The main figure is framed twice, first by a row of bordures with figures in architectural detail, topped by wimpergas (decorative triangular gable), characteristic of the Gothic, and then by an ornamental frame.

Prince Władysław the White - Sir Lancelot of Gniewkowo
Time and history were inexorable for the tombstone of Władysław Biały. It was placed in the crypt, in the rotunda of the cathedral, which was demolished during the French Revolution, and the rubble covered the burial place of our compatriot. Also, the raw material of the tombstone itself, limestone, is not the most resistant material.

However, the memory of the last Piaś of Kujawy was still alive, and in the second half of the 19th century, Prince Władysław Czartoryski (1828-1894), a resident of Paris, leader of the Hotel Lambert (one of the Polish émigré groups in France) and an art expert, decided to restore the tombstone's splendour. Therefore, it was most likely cleaned and, instead of a floral frame, an inscription was carved: "Władysław was released from his monastic vows by the Pope in connection with the possible succession of the Kingdom of Poland". In turn, the founder of the restoration himself added a granite plaque with gold letters indicating the date of the buried person's death. It is surmounted by the Czartoryski family coat of arms - the Pahonia - and the family motto 'Bądź co bądź'.

The turbulent fate of Duke Władysław the White was also known to his confreres in the Order. They stimulated the imagination of his contemporaries to such an extent that they called him "Le Roy Lancelot" - King Lancelot, the name of the most famous knight of the Round Table, next to King Arthur.