Rundāle Palace Museum, Daugava River Valley Travel Guide

Nestled in the fertile Zemgale Plains of southern Latvia, Rundāle Palace stands as the country's most outstanding monument of Baroque and Rococo architecture and art. Often called the 'Versailles of the Baltics,' this magnificent palace was built between 1736 and 1740, and later from 1764 to 1768, as the summer residence of Ernst Johann von Biron, the Duke of Courland, under the design of Russian court architect Francesco Rastrelli, who also designed St. Petersburg's Winter Palace.Visitors can explore the palace's opulent interiors, created between 1765 and 1768, by a team of international craftsmen, including sculptor Johann Michael Graff and painters Francesco Martini and Carlo Zucchi. The palace is home to several permanent exhibitions showcasing 18th-century art and design, from staterooms adorned with intricate floral motifs to the 'From Gothic to Art Nouveau' exhibition, which highlights the evolution of art and architecture across Latvian history.The French garden of Rundāle Palace, spanning 10 hectares, was established alongside the construction of the palace and has been carefully restored to preserve Rastrelli's original plan. The garden features all the hallmarks of a baroque garden: ornamental parterres, a Green Theatre, bosquets, pergolas, and pavilions. A rose garden, boasting around 2,200 species, adds to the garden's charm. In the summer, the park hosts the Garden Festival and classical music concerts.Rundāle Palace suffered damage during the Franco-Russian War of 1812, World War I, and the civil war in 1919. In 1972, the Rundāle Palace Museum was established, beginning the restoration of the palace ensemble. Today, Rundāle Palace has regained its former splendor and atmosphere, offering visitors a glimpse into the life of European aristocracy.