Rihard Blagaj

Rihard Blagaj
Born	(1786-08-17)17 August 1786
Died	14 March 1858(1858-03-14) (aged 71)
Citizenship	Austrian Empire Holy Roman Empire
Occupation	Botanist

Polhov Gradec castle, residence of Counts Ursini von Blagay

Count Rihard Ursini von Blagay (17 August 1786 – 14 March 1858) was an aristocrat, Slovene botanist and patron of the arts.

Early life

Rihard was born into and old aristocratic family, collateral branch of the medieval House of Babonić, which, at that time, was already interrogated into the Austrian nobility. He was the second son of Count Joseph Franz Ursini von Blagay (1759-1831) and his first wife, Countess Maria von Auersperg (1764-1787).

Biography

He organized numerous cultural gatherings of Slovene en-lighteners at his estate, Polhov Gradec Castle, which he acquired through the marriage to the noble Billichgrätz family. At the site of the old castle an octagonal gloriette was later built, which his wife, Countess Antonia turned into a chapel in 1853, adding 14 shrines for the Stations of the Cross to it to create a Calvary. As one of the first Župans of the Ljubljana district, Richard operated in Slovenia. He also collected Slovene plant species for the naturalist Heinrich Freyer.

Personal life

In 1808 he married his third cousin, Baroness Antonia von Billichgrätz zu Baumkircherthurm und Hilzenegkh (1792-1861), an heiress of Billichgrätz family and Polhov Gradec castle. She was the younger daughter of Baron Joseph Anton von Billichgrätz zu Baumkircherthurm und Hilzenegkh (1748-1808) and his wife, Countess Maria Josefa von Gallenberg (1760-1813). The marriage remained childless.

See also

• Daphne blagayana
• List of Slovenian botanists
• Polhov Gradec