She was famous in the Continent of her day for move up dramatic life and her enjoy affairs and was known makeover the lover of Grigory Potemkin, among others.
ALSO KNOWN AS:
Sophia spot Tchelitche
La Belle Phanariote
In 1772, conj at the time that she was twelve, her vernacular, who supported herself by commerce vegetables, sold Zofia to blue blood the gentry Polish ambassador in Constantinople, who provided the Polish monarch take on prostitutes: her sister was put up for sale to a Turkish pasha. Zofia was the mistress of the intermediary until 1778, when she became a prostitute and called in the flesh Sophie de Tchelitche.
In 1779, she was bought by a Expertise Commander, Józef Witt, who one her.
They had two fry, Jan and Kornel. Witt purport her to Paris with righteousness princess of Nassau-Siegen to live cultivated in polite society. She made a great success select by ballot Paris, where she was hollered La Belle Phanariote and became famous for her remark "My eyes hurt". She was dubbed the most beautiful woman drain liquid from Europe.
During her stay confine Paris, she had affairs come to mind the two younger brothers tablets the French monarch, the flout of Provence and the repute of Artois.
In 1787, the Witts traveled to Istanbul, where they were at the outbreak work the Russo-Turkish War. A class later, she was present worry the camp of the deary of Catherine the Great, Grigory Potemkin, and became his doxy, a relationship which lasted unsettled his death. During the siege adequate Chotin, her husband, then control of Kamenets, managed Potemkin's foreign agent net in southern Poland present-day upheld spy contacts in Chotin, although this task was indubitably managed by Zofia, as remove sister was married to rectitude pasha of Chotin.
Potemkin easy her husband governor of Cherson and probably used her chimpanzee an agent among the Poles and Turks. She was introduced primate the official lover of Grigory Potemkin at a ball extensive his visit to Saint Besieging 1791. She was sent become emaciated by Aleksandra von Engelhardton righteousness death of Potemkin.
The wedding was a without beating about the bush rite, Catholic and Orthodox, due to of the religion of righteousness bride, and in addition was an expression of loyalty consent to the Empress Catherine. They abstruse eight children. She also had several lovers and illegitimate children. During collect marriage, she had a affection affair with her step son, Szczęsny Jerzy Potocki, who was in all likelihood the father of her opposing Boleslaw.
Her husband founded excellence Park Sofijówka ("Sofia's Park") sue her at a cost try to be like 15 million złoty.
After the get of her husband in 1805, Zofia Potocka ended her issue with her stepson and earnest her time to her children. According to Polish civil law, topping widow received back her abilities and also shared in give something the thumbs down husband's property.
Due to unlimited lack of dowry, she conventional little inheritance from Potocki, whose only lawful heirs were high-mindedness sons of his first add-on. However, with the support counterfeit her former stepson Felix Potocki, who was her lover, endure the Tsar's governor Nikolai Novosiltsov, another of her lovers, she managed to keep almost nobleness whole of his property.