Nesvizh Castle
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UNESCO World Heritage Site | |
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Location | Nyasvizh, Minsk Region, Belarus |
Part of | Architectural, Residential and Cultural Complex of the Radziwill Family at Nesvizh |
Criteria | Cultural: (ii)(iv)(vi) |
Reference | 1196 |
Inscription | 2005 (29th Session) |
Website | niasvizh |
Coordinates | 53°13′22″N 26°41′29″E / 53.22278°N 26.69139°E |
Nesvizh Castle or Nyasvizh Castle (
History
The estate was owned by the
After the Union of Lublin the castle became one of the most important residences in the central part of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth.
In 1582
In 1706, during the Great Northern War, Charles XII's army sacked the castle and destroyed its fortifications. Several decades later, the Radziwiłłs invited some German and Italian architects to substantially renovate and enlarge the castle. Antoni Zaleski decorated its yellow facades with baroque stucco work. The 16th-century castle gates were also reconstructed, and the two-storey gatehouse tower was crowned with a helm. It was at this time that the three separate buildings surrounding the central courtyard were joined into a single structure.
During the Polish–Russian War of 1792, the castle was seized by Russian forces and the Radziwiłł family was expelled. Soon afterwards the Lithuanian Metrica was transferred to Saint Petersburg (where it still remains today), while the majority of works of art gathered in the palace were distributed among various Russian and Polish nobles in support of Catherine the Great. Due to the Second Partition of Poland in 1793, the castle became part of Russia.
Abandoned both by the original owners and by the Russian army, the palace gradually fell into disrepair. However, it was restored by the Radziwiłłs and between 1881 and 1886 the castle's interiors were renovated by Prince
After the Polish–Soviet War the castle complex and the surrounding area became part of the newly established Second Polish Republic in 1920. During that time, the castle was considered one of the most beautiful in the Kresy region. During the invasion of Poland in 1939, the Radziwiłł family was expelled from the castle by the Red Army. In Soviet times, the castle was used as a sanatorium, while the park gradually fell into neglect.
The castle complex is considered to be the most beautiful in Belarus.[3] In 2005 it was listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.[4]
The castle complex was extensively restored from 2004–2012.
Other Radziwiłł castles
- Olyka Castle
- Lubcha Castle
- Mir Castle
- Biržai Castle
- Dubingiai Castle
See also
References
- ^ elevationmap.net
- ^ "Architectural, Residential and Cultural Complex of the Radziwill Family at Nesvizh". UNESCO World Heritage Convention. UNESCO. Retrieved March 15, 2021.
- ^ "Nesvizh Castle". belarus.by. Archived from the original on 2020-08-13.
- ^ "Landmarks, historic and cultural, and natural sites of the Republic of Belarus on the UNESCO World Heritage List". Land of Ancestors. National Statistical Committee of the Republic of Belarus. 2011. Archived from the original on 10 June 2016. Retrieved 12 October 2013.