Jelgava Palace () or historically Mitau Palace (, ) is the largest

Baroque The Baroque ( , , ) is a Western Style (visual arts), style of Baroque architecture, architecture, Baroque music, music, Baroque dance, dance, Baroque painting, painting, Baroque sculpture, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished from ...

-style palace in the

Baltic states The Baltic states or the Baltic countries is a geopolitical term encompassing Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. All three countries are members of NATO, the European Union, the Eurozone, and the OECD. The three sovereign states on the eastern co ...

. It was built in the 18th century based on the design of

Bartolomeo Rastrelli Francesco Bartolomeo Rastrelli (; 1700 – 29 April 1771) was an Italian architect who worked mainly in Russia. He developed an easily recognizable style of Late Baroque, both sumptuous and majestic. His major works, including the Winter Palace ...

as a residence for the

Dukes of Courland The Duchy of Courland and Semigallia was a duchy in the Baltic region, then known as Livonia, that existed from 1561 to 1569 as a nominal vassal state of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and subsequently made part of the Crown of the Polish Kingd ...

in their capital of Mitau (today's

Jelgava Jelgava () is a state city in central Latvia. It is located about southwest of Riga. It is the largest town in the Semigallia region of Latvia. Jelgava was the capital of the united Duchy of Courland and Semigallia (1578–1795) and was the ad ...

, in the

Semigallia Semigallia is one of the Historical Latvian Lands located to the south of the Daugava and to the north of the Saule region of Samogitia. The territory is split between Latvia and Lithuania, previously inhabited by the Semigallian Baltic tri ...

region of

Latvia Latvia, officially the Republic of Latvia, is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is one of the three Baltic states, along with Estonia to the north and Lithuania to the south. It borders Russia to the east and Belarus to t ...

). The Dukes of Courland also had a summer palace by Rastrelli, about 40 kilometers to the southeast, called

Rundāle Palace Rundāle Palace (; ) 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 in two periods, from 1736 until 1740 and from 1764 until 1768. It is situated ...

History

Construction of the palace started in 1738 on an island between the

Lielupe The Lielupe ( in Latvian language, Latvian Literal translation, literally: ''Large River'', , ) 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 of ...

river and its branches. The site had borne the residence of the former

Courland Courland is one of the Historical Latvian Lands in western Latvia. Courland's largest city is Liepāja, which is the third largest city in Latvia. The regions of Semigallia and Selonia are sometimes considered as part of Courland as they were ...

dukes of the

Kettler Kettler () is a German company based in Ense-Parsit. The company produces riding toys, leisure gear, patio furniture and exercise equipment. In the United Kingdom Kettler (G.B.) Limited was registered in 1985 and is the owner of the KETTLER ...

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 thei ...

Following

Ernst Johann von Biron Ernst Johann von Biron (; ; ) was the duke of Courland and Semigallia from 1737 to 1740 and again from 1763 to 1769. He was also briefly the regent of the Russian Empire in 1740. Early years Biron was born as Ernst Johann von Bühren in Ka ...

'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, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea. The city had a population of 5,601, ...

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 or Elizaveta Petrovna (; ) was Empress of Russia from 1741 until her death in 1762. She remains one of the most popular Russian monarchs because of her decision not to execute a single person during her reign, her numerous constructio ...

, lost business in

Saint Petersburg Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the List of cities and towns in Russia by population, second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the Neva, River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland ...

), 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 aesthe ...

. 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, when it was annexed by the Russian Empire. Life and reign Peter was born in Jelgava () as the oldest son of Ernst Johann ...

, hosted the famous adventurer

Alessandro Cagliostro Giuseppe Balsamo (; 2 June 1743 – 26 August 1795), known by the alias Count Alessandro di Cagliostro ( , ), was an Italian occultist and confidence trickster. Cagliostro was an Italian adventurer and self-styled magician. He became a gl ...

in the palace. In 1788 part of the palace was damaged by fire. After

was absorbed by the

Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire that spanned most of northern Eurasia from its establishment in November 1721 until the proclamation of the Russian Republic in September 1917. At its height in the late 19th century, it covered about , roughl ...

in 1795, the palace served as a refuge for French royalty fleeing the French Revolution.

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. Before his reign, he spent 23 ...

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 ( ; ) is a former royal residence commissioned by King Louis XIV located in Versailles, Yvelines, Versailles, about west of Paris, in the Yvelines, Yvelines Department of Île-de-France, Île-de-France region in Franc ...

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

Courland Governorate Courland Governorate, also known as the Province of Courland or Governorate of Kurland, and known from 1795 to 1796 as the Viceroyalty of Courland, was an administrative-territorial unit (''guberniya'') and one of the Baltic governorates of the ...

. For a short time in 1812, after

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...

'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 White Russian military formation in Latvia and Lithuania during the Russian Civil War from November 1918 to December 1919. History The , unlike the pro- Entente Volunteer Army ...

under the command of

Pavel Bermondt-Avalov Prince Pavel Rafailovich Bermondt-Avalov () or Prince Avalov ( – 27 December 1973) was a Russian officer and Cossack adventurer-warlord. He is best known as the commander of the West Russian Volunteer Army which was active in present-day Latvia ...

. Later, the palace became property of the Latvian Republic, 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 (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, during battles for

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

'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 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 (: sarcophagi or sarcophaguses) is a coffin, most commonly carved in stone, and usually displayed above ground, though it may also be buried. The word ''sarcophagus'' comes from the Greek σάρξ ' meaning "flesh", and φ� ...

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 ''The'' is a grammatical article in English, denoting nouns that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The ...

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 and a dictator. He was one of the most prominent Latvian politicians of pre-World War II Latvia during the Interwar period of independence from N ...

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 staircase.jpg, Jelgava palace staircase File:4217JelgavaSarkofagai.jpg, Ducal crypts

References

External links

Official website

Jelgava Palace 360 Degree View
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WikiCommons equirectangular Image
{{Authority control Buildings and structures in Jelgava Residential buildings completed in 1772 Palaces in Semigallia Baroque palaces in Latvia Bartolomeo Rastrelli buildings Louis XVIII Louis Antoine, Duke of Angoulême

History

Architecture

Gallery

See also

References

External links