The Württemberg Mausoleum is a memorial standing on the peak of Württemberg Hill at the westernmost end of Schurwald woods overlooking the Neckar river. The memorial was built for Catherine Pavlovna of Russia (1788–1819), the second wife of William I of Württemberg (1781–1864). The remains of William I and his daughter Maria Friederike Charlotte of Württemberg (1816–1887) are also housed in the mausoleum.
The mausoleum was built after the death of Queen Catherine between 1820 and 1824 based on a design drafted by Giovanni Salucci. The location on the former site of Wirtemberg castle was chosen as the home of the House of Württemberg.
Between 1825 and 1899 the mausoleum was used as a Russian Orthodox Church place of worship. The memorial is still used to this day for a Russian Orthodox service every Pentecost.
References:The Château du Lude is one of the many great châteaux of the Loire Valley in France. Le Lude is the most northerly château of the Loire Valley and one of the last important historic castles in France, still inhabited by the same family for the last 260 years. The château is testimony to four centuries of French architecture, as a stronghold transformed into an elegant house during the Renaissance and the 18th century. The monument is located in the valley of Le Loir. Its gardens have evolved throughout the centuries.