Immigrating to Latvia and experiencing Latvian Life: Rundāle Palace was built in the 18th century. It is a summer palace designed by the Italian-born Russian architect Bartolomeo Rastrelli for Ernst Johann von Biron, the Duke of Courland. Another famous work by this architect is the Winter Palace in Saint Petersburg. The architectural structure of Rundāle Palace imitates the Palace of Versailles in France, hence it is known as the "Little Versailles" and the "Little Winter Palace."
This is a typical Baroque palace. The resplendence of the Golden Hall and the simplicity and elegance of the White Hall form a sharp contrast. The famous paintings hanging on the walls, various clocks and ornaments, and the exquisite decorations show the richness and variety of court life during the palace's heyday.
Walking through the rooms and corridors of Rundāle Palace, it feels like time travel, as if we have returned to three hundred years ago to discuss national affairs with the Duke. But the Duke Ernst Johann von Biron probably did not have a happy time then. He was appointed Duke of Courland by the Russian Tsarina Anna Ioannovna in 1737. At the beginning of his succession, Ernst Johann von Biron received a large amount of financial support from Russia, and Rundāle Palace was also built at that time.
But good times did not last long. Anna Ioannovna passed away in 1740, which led to von Biron being exiled to Siberia in the following year. There, he hoped to continue to control the affairs of Courland through the Duke's Council; but the lords of Courland clearly did not buy it, and they refused the management of the Duke's Council.
Subsequently, the situation changed, and Louis Ernest, supported by Austria, and Karl Christian Joseph, supported by Poland, became Dukes of Courland one after another. It was not until 1763, the beginning of the reign of Catherine the Great, that von Biron became the Duke of Courland again, and the construction of Rundāle Palace was able to continue.
Six years later, von Biron, who had completed the palace building, passed the dukedom to his son. But by this time, the Duchy of Courland was already in a precarious state...
Rundāle Palace has 138 rooms on two floors. There are more than 40 rooms currently open for tourists to visit. The palace has gone through many vicissitudes and has regained its former glory after several restorations. In 1972, Rundāle Palace was opened as a museum (Rundāle Palace Museum), and there are still some restoration works that have not yet been completed.
The garden of Rundāle is also a typical French garden: rows of meticulously pruned flower beds look particularly neat. When we arrived, it was just in time for the blooming of tulips. Amidst the clusters of flowers, under the blue sky and white clouds, the palace building in the distance appears even more magnificent.
