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From Radziwiііs to decay: Historic 18th-century Palace in Dyatlovo put up for auction

GRODNO, 12 February (BelTA) - Radziwiіі Palace, a rare example of Baroque and Rococo architecture, a historical and cultural heritage site of the Republic of Belarus, Category 2, has been put up for auction.

The history of the palace in Dyatlovo dates back to the mid-18th century, BelTA learned from the Dyatlovo State Museum of History and Local Lore. “In 1751, a stone building was constructed with funds provided by Dominik and Mikoіaj Radziwiіі; the architect is believed to be Domenico Fontana. The estate complex included the palace, outbuildings, and a park," the museum noted.

The palace was a two-story rectangular building on a high foundation with a tall hipped roof. Flanking it were three-tiered towers with pyramidal roofs. The pediment of the main facade features surviving ornamental and heraldic sculpture: a stucco coat of arms of the Radziwiіі princes, portrait high reliefs, garlands, draperies, and more. The building is encircled by entresols and finished cornices. a lavish English-style park was laid out around the palace at the end of the 18th century. The park was adorned with bridges, gazebos, and pavilions.

The palace features an enfilade layout. At its center was a two-flight staircase leading to a grand, two-story-high reception hall. Beneath the building were cellars with barrel vaults and a boiler room that heated the palace through internal flues.

"In the late 18th century, Franciszka Radziwiіі, a daughter of Mikoіaj Radziwiіі's [the owner of Dyatlovo] married Stanisіaw Soіtan, who bought out Dyatlovo from his father-in-law. Stanisіaw Soіtan was the Court Marshal of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and was an opponent of Russian expansion.

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