Blenheim Palace
| Blenheim Palace | |
|---|---|
 Location within Oxfordshire
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| General information | |
| Location | Oxfordshire, England |
| Coordinates | 51°50′31″N 01°21′41″W / 51.84194°N 1.36139°WCoordinates: 51°50′31″N 01°21′41″W / 51.84194°N 1.36139°W |
| Official name | Blenheim Palace |
| Type | Cultural |
| Criteria | ii, iv |
| Designated | 1987 (11th session) |
| Reference no. | 425 |
| Region | Europe and North America |
Blenheim Palace (pronounced /ˈblɛnɪm/ BLEN-im) is a monumental country house situated in , Oxfordshire, England. It is the principal residence of the Dukes of Marlborough, and the only non-royal non-episcopal country house in England to hold the title of palace. The palace, one of England's largest houses, was built between 1705 and circa 1722. Blenheim Palace was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987.
The building of the palace was originally intended to be a reward to John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough, from a grateful nation for the duke's military triumphs against the French and Bavarians during the War of the Spanish Succession, culminating in the 1704 Battle of Blenheim. However, soon after its construction began, the palace became the subject of political infighting; this led to Marlborough's exile, the fall from power of his duchess, and lasting damage to the reputation of the architect Sir John Vanbrugh.
Designed in the rare, and short-lived, English Baroque style, architectural appreciation of the palace is as divided today as it was in the 1720s. It is unique in its combined use as a family home, mausoleum and national monument. The palace is also notable as the birthplace and ancestral home of Sir Winston Churchill.
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