The castle in Montrésor, France, hides many Polish treasures. Among them is a goblet given to Adam Mickiewicz by his Moscow friends.

Among the many Polish artefacts on display in the museum section of the Château de Montrésor is a silver goblet that Adam Mickiewicz received from his Moscow friends in 1828. They wanted to bid Mickiewicz a solemn farewell in this way before his departure from Moscow. Inside the chalice are the signatures of the donor poets.

Poem for Adam Mickiewicz

Along with the cup, Adam Mickiewicz's Moscow friends also presented him with a poem written in two languages, Polish and French. It is related to the passage 'To the friends of Muscovites' from the third part of Dziady. The text of the poem, with its original spelling, is reproduced below:

The story of Adam Mickiewicz's cup in Montrésor, France

Both the cup and the transcript of the work are in the display case of the castle of Montrésor. They were given to Ksawery Branicki, the first Polish owner of the castle, by Wladyslaw Mickiewicz, the poet's son. The cup went to the Branicki family as a token of gratitude for the long-standing support of the Mickiewicz family and their long-standing friendship.

Ksawery Branicki valued the works of Adam Mickiewicz and supported his journalistic activity, among others, in 1849 he founded and financed the publication of the daily Trybuna Ludów, coming out under Mickiewicz's editorship.

Montrésor a treasure trove of polonica

Ksawery Branicki acquired an estate in Montrésor in 1849. The 15th-century château in the Loire valley was thoroughly renovated and newly furnished. The first Polish owner, supported the participants of the Great Emigration - he financed patriotic activities, gave shelter to exiles and provided assistance to Polish artists. Thanks to such actions, today's Montrésor Castle is like a huge treasure chest, concealing works by world-famous painters or sculptors, but above all, for years, it has been a safe that protects Polish traces in France. One could say that the name of the place obliges, as mon trésor means "my treasure" in Polish.