Mežotne Palace

Mežotne Palace
Mežotne Palace seen from the park (2014)
General information
Architectural style	Classicism
Town or city	Bauska municipality
Country	Latvia
Coordinates	56°26′18″N 24°03′11″E / 56.4383°N 24.0530°E / 56.4383; 24.0530
Construction started	1798
Completed	1802
Client	Charlotte von Lieven
Design and construction
Architect	Giacomo Quarenghi Johann Georg Adam Berlitz

Mežotne Palace (Latvian: Mežotnes pils, German: Schloss Mesothen) is a manor house located in Mežotne municipality in Bauska district, in the Semigallia region of Latvia. The palace is one of the most outstanding examples of Neoclassical architecture in Latvia.

In 1795, Empress Catherine II of Russia granted Charlotte von Lieven (1742–1828), the tutor of her grandchildren, a lifetime use of the property at Mežotne. In 1797, Emperor Paul I of Russia turned it into the hereditary estate of the Lieven family. In 1799, he raised her to the title of countess. In 1826 she was raised by Nicholas I of Russia to a princess. During the last years of the Duchy of Courland's history, the manor was rented by Johann Friedrich von Medem. His daughter Anna Charlotte Dorothea married Duke Peter of Courland.

The construction of the manor house was started in 1797 under the guidance of the architect Johann Georg Adam Berlitz. He used the neo-classical design by the Italian architect Giacomo Quarenghi and added side avant-corps to the building. The construction work was completed in 1802. An English style landscape park and complex of subsidiary buildings were added to the ensemble. A previous manor house already existed next to it and was renovated to become the caretaker's house and administrative centre. Other buildings include the dairy, stables, distillery, and others, which was able to make the estate largely self-sufficient.

Charlotte von Lieven lived permanently in St. Petersburg, together with the Czar's family. Only once did she have an opportunity to visit her estate at Mežotne. In 1818 she accompanied Empress Maria Feodorovna on her journey to Germany and on 2 September arrived in Mežotne. They spent one day there and left early in the morning.