Palace of Ekateriné Dadiani (Zugdidi)

 palace, museum, Gothic revival (architecture), interesting place, listed building / architectural heritage, 1878_construction

Palace of Ekateriné Dadiani, Princess of Samegrelo. It was built in 1873. Princess Ekateriné Dadiani (1816-1882) was the last ruling princess of the Western Georgian Principality of Mingrelia. She played an important role in resisting Ottoman influence in her principality. The palace hosts Dadiani Palaces History and Architectural Museum, considered to be one of the most eminent palaces in Caucasus. The museum was established in 1921.

In 1873, construction began following a design attributed to Edwig Jacob Rice. This is the best-known surviving structure built under the Dadianis’ royal patronage, and today it houses the Dadiani Palace Museum. By design, it resembles the Alupka Palace in the Crimea. Both buildings are done in neogothic style on a monumental scale; in outline, they resemble English castles with an oriental touch. Great attention was lavished on the palace’s interior design, which melds Georgian, Russian, and Parisian styles. The palace complex also includes a three-story, English-style tower widely known as the Virgin Tower, where a garment said to have belonged to the Virgin Mary is kept. The inner yard balcony—the so-called Queen’s balcony—is made of timber and surrounds the whole building. It stands on 51 massive wooden pillars and is secured by its own weight, without nails. Its wooden ornamentation contains over 50,000 small pieces of inlaid marquetry. The balcony was restored to something of its original grandeur in the 1980s. In its day, the palace was not only the chief residence of the Prince and Queen, but also the site of one of the finest libraries in Georgia, a museum, and a military office. It housed valuable artworks and historical, archaeological, and paleographic objects.

The museum presents to its visitors 41,000 objects. Most of them are unique and invaluable examples of Georgian and foreign art, historic documents and golden and silver treasure. Along with examples of the medieval period here you will find exhibits from ancient times (Stone, Paleolithic and Neolithic ages). We should underline the Golden and Silver treasure from I and II centuries. A wonderful collection of Byzantian, Kolkhidian, Romanian, Russian, Polish and Hungarian coins makes visitors admire the people and their interests who used to live here. Exclusive examples of the embossing made on the golden plates from 11th up to 19th centuries request special attention. Handwritten religious books and official deeds made in 16-19 centuries are also extremely important. Here you will even find Rococo, Ampir and Bule furniture. Napoleon Bonaparte's death mask made by his personal doctor Franchesko Antomark in 1833 is also kept in the museum.

www.georgianmuseums.ge/?lang=eng&id=1_1&sec_id=11&th_id...
dadiani.si.edu/dadianipalace.html