Jelgava Palace ( lv, Jelgavas pils) or historically Mitau Palace ( lv, Mītavas pils, german: Schloss Mitau) is the largest
Baroque
The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including t ...
-style palace in the
Baltic states
The Baltic states, et, Balti riigid or the Baltic countries is a geopolitical term, which currently is used to group three countries: Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. All three countries are members of NATO, the European Union, the Eurozone, ...
. It was built in the 18th century based on the design of
Bartolomeo Rastrelli
Francesco Bartolomeo Rastrelli (russian: Франче́ско Бартоломе́о (Варфоломе́й Варфоломе́евич) Растре́лли; 1700 in Paris, Kingdom of France – 29 April 1771 in Saint Petersburg, Russian Emp ...
as a residence for the
Dukes of Courland
The Duchy of Courland and Semigallia ( la, Ducatus Curlandiæ et Semigalliæ; german: Herzogtum Kurland und Semgallen; lv, Kurzemes un Zemgales hercogiste; lt, Kuršo ir Žiemgalos kunigaikštystė; pl, Księstwo Kurlandii i Semigalii) was ...
in their capital of Mitau (today's
Jelgava
Jelgava (; german: Mitau, ; see also other names) is a state city in central Latvia about southwest of Riga with 55,972 inhabitants (2019). It is the largest town in the region of Zemgale (Semigalia). Jelgava was the capital of the united Du ...
,
Latvia
Latvia ( or ; lv, Latvija ; ltg, Latveja; liv, Leţmō), officially the Republic of Latvia ( lv, Latvijas Republika, links=no, ltg, Latvejas Republika, links=no, liv, Leţmō Vabāmō, links=no), is a country in the Baltic region of ...
). The Dukes of Courland also had a summer palace by Rastrelli, about 40 kilometers to the southeast, called
Rundāle Palace
Rundāle Palace ( lv, Rundāles pils; german: Schloss Ruhental, formerly Ruhenthal or Ruhendahl) is one of the two major baroque palaces built for the Dukes of Courland in what is now Latvia, the other being Jelgava Palace. The palace was built i ...
.
History
Construction of the palace started in 1738 on an island between the
Lielupe
The Lielupe ( in Latvian literally: ''Large River'', lt, Lielupė, german: Kurländische Aa) is a river in central Latvia. Its length is (the length would reach if the Mēmele River were counted as part of the Lielupe). The surface area o ...
river and its branches. The site had borne the residence of the former
Courland
Courland (; lv, Kurzeme; liv, Kurāmō; German and Scandinavian languages: ''Kurland''; la, Curonia/; russian: Курляндия; Estonian: ''Kuramaa''; lt, Kuršas; pl, Kurlandia) is one of the Historical Latvian Lands in western Latvia. ...
dukes of the
Kettler
Kettler (german: Kettler GmbH) is a German company based in Ense-Parsit, with locations all around the world. The company produces riding toys, leisure gear, patio furniture and exercise equipment.
History
The company was founded in 1949 in ...
dynasty and, before that, a medieval castle belonging to the
Livonian Order
The Livonian Order was an autonomous branch of the Teutonic Order,
formed in 1237. From 1435 to 1561 it was a member of the Livonian Confederation.
History
The order was formed from the remnants of the Livonian Brothers of the Sword after the ...
.
Following
Ernst Johann von Biron
Ernst Johann von Biron (german: Ernst Johann von Biron; russian: link=no, Эрнст Иоганн Бирон; (german: link=no, Bühren); ) was a Duke of Courland and Semigallia (1737–1740 and 1763–1769) and briefly regent of the Russian E ...
's fall from grace in 1740, all construction work was stopped, even though the roof of the palace had not yet been completed. Most of the building materials and interior elements were moved to
St. Petersburg
Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...
where Rastrelli used them in building of other palaces.
Work resumed after Biron's return from exile in 1762. However, due to financial difficulties duke moved into palace only in 1772 although interior decorations still was in progress in many rooms. Besides Rastrelli (who, with the death of his patroness, the
Empress Elizabeth
Elizabeth Petrovna (russian: Елизаве́та (Елисаве́та) Петро́вна) (), also known as Yelisaveta or Elizaveta, reigned as Empress of Russia from 1741 until her death in 1762. She remains one of the most popular List of ...
, lost business in
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...
), Danish architect
Severin Jensen participated in the project, giving the palace a touch of
classicism
Classicism, in the arts, refers generally to a high regard for a classical period, classical antiquity in the Western tradition, as setting standards for taste which the classicists seek to emulate. In its purest form, classicism is an aestheti ...
.
After construction was completed in 1772, the duke lived in the palace for six months. In 1779, his successor,
Peter von Biron
Peter von Biron (15 February 1724 – 13 January 1800) was the last Duke of Courland and Semigallia, from 1769 to 1795.
Life and reign
Peter was born in Jelgava (german: Mitau) as the oldest son of Ernst Johann von Biron, future Duke of Cou ...
, hosted the famous adventurer
Alessandro Cagliostro
Count Alessandro di Cagliostro (, ; 2 June 1743 – 26 August 1795) was the alias of the Italian occultist Giuseppe Balsamo (; in French usually referred to as Joseph Balsamo).
Cagliostro was an Italian adventurer and self-styled magician ...
in the palace. In 1788 part of the palace was damaged by fire.
After
Courland
Courland (; lv, Kurzeme; liv, Kurāmō; German and Scandinavian languages: ''Kurland''; la, Curonia/; russian: Курляндия; Estonian: ''Kuramaa''; lt, Kuršas; pl, Kurlandia) is one of the Historical Latvian Lands in western Latvia. ...
was absorbed by the
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended the Great Northern War. ...
in 1795, the palace served as a refuge for French royalty fleeing the
French revolution
The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in November 1799. Many of its ideas are considere ...
.
Louis XVIII of France
Louis XVIII (Louis Stanislas Xavier; 17 November 1755 – 16 September 1824), known as the Desired (), was King of France from 1814 to 1824, except for a brief interruption during the Hundred Days in 1815. He spent twenty-three years in e ...
and his family lived in the palace between 1798 and 1800. It was here that
Marie-Thérèse-Charlotte of France married
Louis-Antoine, Duke of Angoulême, in 1799. Later, Louis lived incognito at the palace from 1804 until 1807. French royalty attempted to recreate the court life of
Versailles
The Palace of Versailles ( ; french: Château de Versailles ) is a former royal residence built by King Louis XIV located in Versailles, about west of Paris, France. The palace is owned by the French Republic and since 1995 has been managed, u ...
at Jelgava, where many old courtiers still lived, re-establishing all the court ceremonies, including the lever and coucher (ceremonies that accompanied waking and bedding, respectively)
In the beginning of 19th. century, the palace became residence of the governor-general of the
Courland Governorate. For a short time in 1812, after
Napoleon
Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader who ...
's invasion of Russia, the palace housed a government of the restored Duchy of Courland and Semigallia, led by Count von Medem. After the Napoleonic Wars, the palace again was occupied by the administration of the Governorate of Courland, which was situated there until 1915. In 1815, the northern part of the palace was again damaged by fire.
The interior decorations of the palace were destroyed in 1919 when the palace was looted and burned by the retreating
West Russian Volunteer Army
The West Russian Volunteer Army or Bermontians was a pro-German military formation in Latvia and Lithuania during the Russian Civil War in 1918–20.
History
The Western Russian Volunteer Army, unlike the pro-Allies of World War I, Entente Vo ...
under the command of
Pavel Bermondt-Avalov
Pavel Rafailovich Bermondt-Avalov (russian: Павел Рафаилович Бермондт-Авалов) or Pavel Avalishvili ( – 27 December 1973) was an Ussuri Cossack and warlord. He is best known as the commander of the West Russian Vol ...
. Later, the palace became property of the
Latvian Republic
Latvia ( or ; lv, Latvija ; ltg, Latveja; liv, Leţmō), officially the Republic of Latvia ( lv, Latvijas Republika, links=no, ltg, Latvejas Republika, links=no, liv, Leţmō Vabāmō, links=no), is a country in the Baltic region of ...
, and major reconstruction and restoration started. The new
Jelgava Academy of Agriculture was established in the palace, opening in autumn 1939.
From 1941 until summer of 1944, the palace was a residence of ''Gebietskommissar von Mitau''
Walter von Medem. The palace suffered heavy damage in
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, during battles for
Jelgava
Jelgava (; german: Mitau, ; see also other names) is a state city in central Latvia about southwest of Riga with 55,972 inhabitants (2019). It is the largest town in the region of Zemgale (Semigalia). Jelgava was the capital of the united Du ...
in the summer of 1944. Like many other historical buildings in Jelgava, the palace was almost completely destroyed during heavy shelling and street fighting. The exterior of the palace was restored between 1956 and 1964, but not the interior.
[ After restoration, the Latvia Academy of Agriculture (now the Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies) was again located in the palace; today it houses university administration and three faculties.
]
Architecture
Jelgava Palace is not considered one of Rastrelli's better works. Critics note the dull facade design lacking rhythmic diversity and plastic richness which characterized Rastrelli's works in Empress Elizabeth
Elizabeth Petrovna (russian: Елизаве́та (Елисаве́та) Петро́вна) (), also known as Yelisaveta or Elizaveta, reigned as Empress of Russia from 1741 until her death in 1762. She remains one of the most popular List of ...
's period. Also, atypically for Rastrelli, the palace did not feature a garden; nor was the parade yard originally closed, instead facing the urban panorama of Jelgava.
Originally, the palace consisted of two wings connected to the main building forming a U-shape. In 1937 a fourth building was added by Eižens Laube
Eižens Laube (May 25, 1880 – July 21, 1967) was a Latvian architect. He was responsible for some of the reconstruction work of Riga Castle in the 1930s and designed more than 200 houses in Riga.
Biography
Eižens Laube was born in Riga a ...
effectively closing the perimeter.
Features of special historical significance include the burial vault of the Dukes of Courland in the south-east basement. All Dukes of Courland from the Houses of Kettler and Biron were buried there between 1569 and 1791. The rooms contain 21 sarcophagi
A sarcophagus (plural sarcophagi or sarcophaguses) is a box-like funeral receptacle for a cadaver, corpse, most commonly carved in stone, and usually displayed above ground, though it may also be buried. The word ''sarcophagus'' comes from ...
and nine wooden coffins. The crypt was relocated to the palace in 1819.
Gallery
File:Jelgava palace in 1915.jpg, Jelgava palace in 1915 prior to the addition of the western wing
File:Jelgava room.jpg, Former room
File:Palace former hallway.jpg, Former hallway
File:Chinese Room Mitau.jpg, The Chinese room
File:Golden hall Mitau.jpg, The Duke's Cabinet (Golden hall)
File:Jelgava palace southern wing.jpg, Jelgava palace southern wing
File:Western wing of the Jelgava palace.jpg, Western wing of the Jelgava palace
File:Jelgava palace stable.jpg, Jelgava palace stable
File:Jelgava palace eastern wing.jpg, Jelgava palace eastern wing and entrance
File:Jelgava palace as it's seen from the nearby bridge.jpg, Jelgava palace as it is seen from the nearby bridge
File:Jelgava palace aerial view.jpg, Jelgava palace aerial view (as seen from Google maps)
File:Jelgava palace second floor.jpg, Jelgava palace inner yard as it is seen from the 2nd floor.
File:Panorama of the palace.jpg, Panorama of the palace from the inner yard
File:Entrance to the Jelgava palace.jpg, Entrance to the palace
File:Hallway and entrance to the palace museum.jpg, Hallway and entrance to the palace museum
File:Shelf in the palace museum.jpg, Shelf in the palace museum
File:Bust of Kārlis Ulmanis.jpg, Bust of Kārlis Ulmanis
Kārlis Augusts Vilhelms Ulmanis (; 4 September 1877 – 20 September 1942) was a Latvian politician. He was one of the most prominent Latvian politicians of pre-World War II Latvia during the Interwar period of independence from November 1918 to ...
File:Restored room in Jelgava palace.jpg, Restored room in Jelgava palace
File:Jelgava palace hallway.jpg, Hallway
File:Former ballroom of the Jelgava palace.jpg, Former banquet hall of the Jelgava palace (nowadays it is the academy hall)
File:Former silver hall of the Jelgava palace.jpg, Former silver hall, nowadays the room is used for festive events.
File:Formerly the golden hall of Jelgava palace.jpg, Formerly the golden hall of Jelgava palace, nowadays the room is used to host festive events.
File:Bioeconomy and Sustainable Resources Management Center.jpg, Bioeconomy and Sustainable Resources Management Center (formerly the dukes bedroom).
File:Jelgava palace painting.jpg, Jelgava palace painting that depicts the palaces former color scheme.
File:Jelgava palace staircase.jpg, Jelgava palace staircase
File:4217JelgavaSarkofagai.jpg, Ducal crypts
See also
* List of Baroque residences
This is a list of Baroque architecture, Baroque palaces and Residenz, residences built in the late 17th and 18th centuries. Baroque architecture is a building style of the Baroque, Baroque era, begun in late 16th-century Italy and spread in Europe ...
* List of palaces and manor houses in Latvia
This is a list of palaces and manor houses in Latvia built after the 16th century. Palaces and manors which are now part of the Zemgale region were then part of the Selonia region, and therefore are differentiated for clarity. This list does not ...
Jelgava Palace 360 Degree View
wit
WikiCommons equirectangular Image
References
External links
*
{{Authority control
Buildings and structures in Jelgava
Residential buildings completed in 1772
Baroque palaces in Latvia