Would you like to immerse into the atmosphere of the Middle Ages right in the famous suburb of St. Petersburg? Or to learn and unravel the legends about this place, shrouded in darkness? If these ideas attract you, then the Priory Palace in Gatchina is place for you!
The Priory Palace can be called the hallmark of the city of Gatchina. Its unusual architectural structure attracts tourists from every part of the world. Priory Castle (this is its second name) is a unique structure built in 1799 by the architect Nikolai Alexandrovich Lvov. Speaking about the features of the Palace, it is worth noting that it doesn’t look luxurious, like other castles. This castle is the only architectural structure in Russia that was built using the following technology: layers of compressed loam were poured with lime solution. This technology is called “Telebit”. In simple terms, previously the structures were not made with the materials that N. A. Lvov developed and put into use.
The history of the Priory Palace dates back to the XVIII century, and this building served as a summer residence for the Prince of Conde, who was a prior of the order of Malta.
The Priory palace is situated in the park of the same name, on the bank of the very beautiful lake, which is called the Black lake. As we have already said, the Priory Palace is a unique feature in the architecture of Petersburg suburbs: its facades don’t have a lot of décor. It is because of the decision of Lvov to build the palace in the technic of “telebit”. The specific feature of the technic was not very tall. The attractiveness of the palace lays in its location – very beautiful scenery.
The Priory Palace has rich and very interesting history. At first it was a summer residence of the Maltese Order, but later it became state property. Then, in 1820-1840, there was the Lutheran church. In 1880 the Priory palace was reconstructed. Then, during the World War I, it was the military hospital. And then, from 1980 to 2004 it had been reconstructing.
There are a lot of legends about the palace. The most famous is about underground passage, which connects the Priory Palace with the Gatchina Imperial Palace.
The main question to answer is: when is it better to visit the Priory castle? The ideal time to visit this architectural structure is late spring, when everything is already beginning to bloom on the street. Why do we tell you about this particular season? First, the Priory Palace is located in the Park of the same name, which looks incredibly beautiful in the spring, when the buds open and all nature comes to life. Secondly, it is in the spring that many music festivals take place in Gatchina. In the Priory Park you can hear jazz performances in the spring or visit the concert of classical music. Thus, spring is the best time when you can visit the Priory Palace and enjoy not only the tour, but also the surrounding nature! We are waiting for you at the Priory castle!
In conclusion, we would like to emphasize, that the palace is a unique building among all Russian architecture of XVII century. If you visit it, you will be immersed into the unique atmosphere and will admire picturesque scenery. Welcome to the Priory Palace!
Authors: Anna Kolesnichenko, Angelina Vokalyuk
Location : St.Petersburg
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