Cesvaine Palace, Cesvaine, Latvia

Cesvaine Palace was built in 1896 for the German baron Emil von Wulf (not to be confused with the von Wolf baronial family). Authors of the project were architects Hans Grisebach and August Dinklage from Berlin. The palace is built in the late Tudor Neo-Renaissance style. It is located next to the old medieval castle ruins, remains from the old bishops castle.

At the end of the 19th century, Germany abandoned the reproduction of old German prototypes and turned to England in search of inspiration, namely to late Tudor-style architecture. The style had preserved certain Gothic elements. Picturesque frames, towers and turrets of different forms and sizes, high decorative chimneys and steep roofs were all characteristic features of the style.

Cesvaine Palace is an impressive construction representing this trend in Latvia. Abandoning forms of the German renaissance, Griesebach created an unusual, noble and welcoming construction. It is a romantic and picturesque building, and its architecture harmonizes with the landscape. The palace is built of stone, skilfully using the colour and texture of the material. The building is renowned not only for its size and frame, but also for the quality of construction. The facades of the palace is made in the medieval style, so the palace leaves the impression of a medieval fortification.

The palace has survived all revolutions and wars of the twentieth century, so interiors were almost in perfect condition. Unfortunately in 2002 the palace suffered heavily in a fire. All of the roof and second floor was destroyed and the first floor was seriously damaged. But, many interior elements survived and will be restored. Although restoration works has started, due to the lack of finances they are proceeding very slowly. The last few decades there was a local secondary school housed in the palace.

References:

Wikipedia

Address

Pils iela 1, Cesvaine, Latvia

See all sites in Cesvaine

Details

Founded: 1896
Category: Palaces, manors and town halls in Latvia
Historical period: Part of the Russian Empire (Latvia)

More Information

en.wikipedia.org
travelinos.com
www.pilis.lv
www.latvia.travel

Rating

4.6/5 (based on Google user reviews)

Interesting Sites Nearby

Krustpils Castle (58 km)
Varaklani Palace (49,2 km)
Vecpiebalga Castle (31,4 km)

User Reviews

Sintija Rubene (35 days ago)
Beautiful castle from outside unfortunately did not got in because on Monday it’s closed for visitors (my fault for not checking it before visit) but nevertheless beautiful from outside. Will go next year to see inside

Iveta Puckoriene (2 months ago)
Outside the castle is beautiful, but inside there is nothing to see, needs a lot of restauration work.

Ilze Jurane (2 months ago)
Beautiful castle! Stairs leads to all the way up to tower! Good views!

Anastas (3 months ago)
Probably the most beautiful castle-style palace in Latvia! Get your camera ready, this place is great for taking some atmospheric pictures! Definitely worth visiting.

Deniss B. (14 months ago)
Beautiful exterior. Possibility to take a tour and see a large part of the castle. Amazing view from the castle Tower. The ticket desk is inside. Adult ticket price is 6 EUR. I hope that interior renovation will continue, because some of the rooms are not so good.

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Photo from Flickr, copyright Staffan O Andersson

Historic Site of the week

Gamla Uppsala Church

The stone church of Gamla Uppsala, built over the pagan temple, dates from the early 12th century. Due to fire and renovations, the present church is only a remnant of the original cathedral.

Before the arrival of Christianity in Sweden, Gamla Uppsala was the seat of Swedish kings and a ceremonial site known all over northern Europe. The settlement was home to royal palaces, a royal burial ground, and a great pagan temple. The Uppsala temple, which was described in detail by Adam of Bremen in the 1070s, housed wooden statues of the Norse gods Odin, Thor and Freyr. A golden chain hung across its gables and the inside was richly decorated with gold. The temple had priests, who sacrificed to the gods according to the needs of the people.

The first Christian cathedral was probably built in the 11th century, but finished in the 12th century. The stone building may have been preceded by a wooden church and probably by the large pagan temple.

Cesvaine Palace