Nesvizh Castle is a residential palace of the Radziwill family, located in the small town of Niasvij, in the center of Belarus 120 kilometers south of the capital of Belarus, the city of Minsk.
The construction of the castle was started by Prince Nicholas Radziwill “The Orphan” in 1582. In the beginning (until 1599) the Italian architect Giovanni Maria Bernardoni participated in the construction. In the XVI-XX centuries it was the residence of the princes of Radzevil. In addition to the castle there are fortifications and a large park . Nesvizh Castle is the ancestor of the new type of bastion fortifications in Belarus of the so-called new Italian system and at the time of its construction is considered one of the most perfect structures of this type. It has been of major military importance for several centuries.
Nesvizh Castle is the founder of a new type of bastion fortifications in Belarus – the so-called novaitalyanskay system. At the time of construction of the castle was considered one of the most powerful and sophisticated facilities of this type. The castle was no shortage of guns, handguns and military ammunition. The castle was of great military importance for several centuries, was the site of the concentration of private army units Radziwills.
In 1994, the palace complex was chosen as a national cultural and historical reserve. Twelve years later, in 2007, he was inscribed on the Unesco World Heritage List.
On November 10, 2012, the castle held the first ball since the Radziwill times, co-organized by the Belarusian Ministry of Culture.Nesvizh castle today
Nesvizh palace and park ensemble Nesvizh castle and park with decorative lakes and shady alleys is the most beautiful palace and park ensemble in Belarus, attracting many tourists.
Access : Coordinates: 53.222878, 26.691736 / Nesvizh is located in the Minsk region 112 km south-west of Minsk./ Nesvizh Palace and Park Complex Nesvizh is most convenient to arrive by car. The city is connected by roads with Baranovichi, Novogrudok and the Minsk – Slutsk highway. / You can come to Nesvizh by bus from Minsk – the trip takes about three hours.
Highlights :
- The castle was rebuilt many times and as a result acquired the appearance of a palace combining the features of many architectural styles : renaissance ,baroque , rococo , classicism , neo-gothic , modernism
- The overall layout and construction of the Nesvizh Castle is a tendency to symmetry. Central building, significantly rebuilt in the XVIII century, stands out for its architectural design. Pilasters, relief decoration, sculptural screen attached to the front of plasticity, rich stucco high pediment with the arms – the grandeur and solemnity.
- The most important building in Nieswiez was the Corpus Christi Church (built from 1587 to 1603), which was connected to the castle by a ditch. It contains 72 coffins by members of the Radziwill family, each buried in a simple coffin made of birch, which was marked with a traby coat of arms.
- the Golden Hall : This is a luxurious room with six-meter ceilings, Carrara marble fireplaces and precious wood parquet on the floor. The restorers had the task of most accurately restoring the ceremonial appearance of the hall, as it was in its heyday, in the 18th century. In the interior, gilded emblems of the previous owners, empire furniture, lush chandeliers attract attention. Unfortunately, there are not so many original objects in the hall, but some are: for example, these are mirrors that were taken out of the castle to the Kupalovsky Theater, and now returned to the place.
- At the end of the 19th century, one of the largest landscape parks in Europe was laid near Nesvizh Castle./After the Second World War, a sanatorium was located in Nesvizh Castle, and the park fell into disrepair./In 1993, the National Historical and Cultural Museum-Reserve was created in Nesvizh, which included the castle.
Currently, each of the buildings of the architectural reserve is visited separately.
Opening hours: Summer schedule (from May to September) – from 10:00 to 19:00;
Winter schedule (from November to April) – from 9:00 to 18:00.
The Town Hall, Slutsk Gate and the Children’s Center close an hour earlier.
Entrance fees: 14 BYN for adults, 7 BYN for schoolchildren and students.
Activities : sightseeing / Architecture Photography / landscape observation /
Go next : Nesvizh Benedictine Monastery / Farny Polish Roman Catholic – Baroque of the 16th century / The market square where the town hall and shopping arcades are located./ Not far from Nesvizh is Mir Castle.
