Description of the attraction
Rundale Castle is famous not only in Latvia, but also far beyond the borders of the country. This outstanding architectural monument is located in the village of Pilsrundale, which is 12 km from Bauska or 50 km from Jelgava. The architect of the palace, built in the Baroque and Rococo decorative arts, is the famous master Francesco Bartolomeo Rastrelli. The entire palace complex, including the hunting and French parks, covers an area of over 70 hectares. There are 138 rooms on two floors of the palace, their original furnishings have not been preserved, therefore the exhibits that make up the interior were purchased or delivered from other museums.
Three palace buildings, together with adjoining transverse buildings, as well as gates, form a closed courtyard of honor, the carriage house is located between the palace and the stables. On the south side there is a French garden, the paths of which lead to a forest park, which in the past was a hunting park. The gardener's house is in the garden.
The palace was built in the period from 1736 to 1740. as the summer residence of the favorite of the Russian Empress Anna Ioannovna, Duke of Courland Biron. After the death of the Empress, Biron was arrested and sent into exile. Construction work in Rundale Castle resumed several years later, after Biron returned from exile, which was already at the beginning of the reign of Empress Catherine II. Famous craftsmen of their time created the chic interiors of the castle. This is how the Italian masters Carlo Zucci and Francesco Martini performed delightful murals on the sienna and the ceilings of the palace, the elegant modeling on artificial marble was made by the sculptor I. M. Graff.
After the accession of the Courland state to the Russian lands, the owners of the Rundale castle first became the Zubov family, and then the Shuvalov family. In 1920 the palace became the property of the Republic of Latvia. In 1933, the buildings of Rundale Castle were transferred to the History Museum. The Second World War did not cause any damage to the palace, although in the post-war years, some of the premises were rebuilt as granaries. Rundale Palace Museum was founded in 1972. From that time to the present time, full-scale repair and restoration work has been carried out.
At the moment, after the restoration, several rooms have been opened, including the ceremonial halls. Themed exhibitions are held in the palace, as well as in the stables and the gardener's house. In addition, the Rundale Castle Museum offers for rent ceremonial halls for receptions, concerts, events. In addition, presentations, concerts and performances can be held in the castle garden.
