Jelgava Palace is the former residence of the Dukes of Courland and Semigallia, and the later administrative centre of the Courland Governorate, whereas nowadays it is the home of the Latvia University of Agriculture. In 1265, the Livonian Order Master Konrad von Mandern built a castle for the needs of the Order between the rivers Driksa and Lielupe. It was named the Mitove Castle, from which the historic name of the city - Mitava - was derived. In 1345 the wooden castle was burned down and a new palace was built out of stone. In the second half of the 16th century the last Livonian Order Master and the first Duke of Courland and Semigallia Gotthard Kettler chose the palace as his residence. In 1737, after the death of Duke Ferdinand, the last duke of the Kettler dynasty, Ernst Johann von Biron, was elected the new ruler of Courland and Semigallia. The old Jelgava Palace was blown up and torn down during autumn of the same year in order to make room for the new winter residence of the Duke. The project of the new baroque style palace was designed by the well-known Russian court architect Francesco Bartolomeo Rastrelli. The construction works were carried out in two periods - from 1738 to 1740 and from 1762 to 1772. Jelgava Palace is the largest architectural monument in the Baltic States. The palace has 675 windows, 615 doors and 669 rooms, and there are 25 chimneys on the roof. In 1937, construction of the west wing of the palace was started for the needs of the Jelgava Academy of Agriculture. The opening that was facing the city was closed off by a two-storey building according to the project of Professor Eizens Laubem thus sealing the palace in a tight quadrangular block. The palace has been on fire several times during its existence. It suffered the most damage during World War II, when the palace burned down at the end of July 1944. In 1956, the renovation of the palace was started and the Academy of Agriculture gradually moved back to Jelgava Palace from Riga. Nowadays, Jelgava Palace is the central building of the Latvia University of Agriculture. A museum has been operating in Jelgava Palace since 1968, providing information on the construction history of the old 14th century Livonian Order Castle and the current palace, as well as about the progress that has been made in studying and preserving the palace. 

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Jelgava Palace - Public Info

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Inserted: 19-07-2022 06:07:38