Mežotne Palace

Mežotne Palace (Latvian: Mežotnes pils, German: Schloss Mesothen) is a manor house located in the Mežotne Parish of Bauska Municipality, in the Semigallia region of Latvia. The palace is one of the most outstanding examples of Neoclassical architecture in Latvia.

In 1795, Empress Catherine II of Russia granted Charlotte von Lieven (1742–1828), the tutor of her grandchildren, a lifetime use of the property at Mežotne. In 1797, Emperor Paul I of Russia turned it into the hereditary estate of the Lieven family. In 1799, he raised her to the title of countess. In 1826 she was raised by Nicholas I of Russia to a princess. During the last years of the Duchy of Courland's history, the manor was rented by Johann Friedrich von Medem. His daughter Anna Charlotte Dorothea married Duke Peter of Courland.

The construction of the manor house was started in 1797 under the guidance of the architect Johann Georg Adam Berlitz. He used the neo-classical design by the Italian architect Giacomo Quarenghi and added side avant-corps to the building. The construction work was completed in 1802. An English style landscape park and complex of subsidiary buildings were added to the ensemble. A previous manor house already existed next to it and was renovated to become the caretaker's house and administrative centre. Other buildings include the dairy, stables, distillery, and others, which was able to make the estate largely self-sufficient.

Charlotte von Lieven lived permanently in St. Petersburg, together with the Czar's family. Only once did she have an opportunity to visit her estate at Mežotne. In 1818 she accompanied Empress Maria Feodorovna on her journey to Germany and on 2 September arrived in Mežotne. They spent one day there and left early in the morning.

After the death of Charlotte von Lieven in 1828, the manor was inherited by her son Johann who had returned to Mežotne in 1817 after his military service in the Russian army. His son Paul, the master of ceremonies at the Russian court and land marshal of the Vidzeme Knighthood, expanded his estate by obtaining the Bauska Manor with its castle ruins as well as Derpele and Krimulda Manors in Vidzeme.

In 1881 Mežotne was inherited by Paul Lieven's son Anatol. He started his career in St. Petersburg, but when he attained the rank of lieutenant of the Guards Cavalry, he left the army and settled in Mežotne.

Text adapted from “Mežotne Palace” on Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Mežotne Palace ranks #4,190 of 7,738 worldwide in the atlas's castle fame ranking, and #25 of the 45 mapped in Latvia. Founded 1798, it is older than 13% of the atlas's dated landmarks — one of 525 atlas entries founded in the 18th century. 2 more atlas landmarks stand within 25 km. The nearest day-trip guide is Riga, 57 km away. See how Latvia compares in the castle statistics.

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