Nesvizh Castle
| Architectural, Residential and Cultural Complex of the Radziwill Family at Nesvizh | |
|---|---|
| Name as inscribed on the World Heritage List | |
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| Location | Belarus |
| Type | Cultural |
| Criteria | ii, iv, vi |
| Reference | 1196 |
| UNESCO region | Europe and North America |
| Inscription history | |
| Inscription | 2005 (29th Session) |
Niasvizh Castle or Nesvizh Castle (Belarusian: Нясвіжскі замак, Niasvižski zamak, Lithuanian: Nesvyžiaus pilis, Polish: zamek w Nieświeżu, Russian: Несвижский замок, Nesvizhskiy zamok) is a residential castle of the Radziwiłł family in Nesvizh, Belarus. It is 183 metres (600 ft) above sea level.
From 1921 to 1939 the complex was in Poland and was considered one of the most beautiful Polish castles in the Kresy region.
The estate was owned by the Radziwiłł magnate family from 1533, when it was awarded to Mikołaj Radziwiłł and his brother Jan Radziwiłł after the extinction of the Kiszka family. Since the Radziwiłłs were one of the most important and wealthy clans of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Crown of the Kingdom of Poland, it was there that the Lithuanian Archive was moved in 1551. In 1586 the estate was turned into an ordynacja.
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 Mikołaj Krzysztof "Sierotka" Radziwiłł, the Marshal of Lithuania, Voivode of Trakai–Vilnius and castellan of Šiauliai, started the construction of an imposing square three-storey "château". Although the works were based on a pre-existing structure of a medieval castle, the former fortifications were entirely turned into a renaissance-baroque house. Construction was completed by 1604, and they added several galleries half a century later. The château's corners were fortified with four octagonal towers.
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