The residence of the Tsarina's lover. My ethnic weekend schooling education growing up had included what I refer to as "Latvian relativity." Highest point in Latvia (mountain) was, in actuality, a 300 meter high hill. Metropolises were towns. Towns were a group od five cottages. Rivers were streams. When my mother reunited with her, our, family after half a century and we attended a play at the National Theater, she remarked it seemed a lot smaller than she remembered it. Of course, having lived and worked in New York over nearly four decades, a decade more than her time in Latvia, it wasn't a surprising reaction.

So, driving up and parking at the "palace," I looked upon the building we parked near and thought, "palace" + "Latvian relativity" = "well, I supposed that could be a 'palace' in Latvia"—a term bandied about with relative abandon, viz. Jaunmolu "Pils", a gothic/Jugenstil hunting lodge build a the turn of the 19th to 20th century.

And then we turned the corner past (what turned out to be) the stables. It was a palace! If you've never visited, the next time you're in Latvia, make a point to go.

Click a thumbnail to view in gallery
Rundāle Palace, at first you see just the stables,silly Peters, he thought they were the "palace!"
Rundāle Palace, the stables do look like a fine country mansion!
Rundāle, the palace and flanking stables, from a few steps back
Rundāle Palace, another view through the flanking stables, people added for scale
Rundāle Palace, lions atop the palace gates
Rundāle Palace, another close-up of one of the lions
Rundāle Palace, an imposing view once we enter past the stables
Rundāle Palace, a view towards the palace as we enter between flanking stables
Rundāle Palace, one of the lions atop the gateposts
Rundāle Palace, bas-relief detail in the White Ballroom
Rundāle Palace, a cherub in the White Ballroom
Rundāle Palace, the White Ballroom
Rundāle Palace, it was neglected and overgrown (note the trees)
Rundāle Palace, corner ceiling detail from the Rose Ballroom
Rundāle Palace, the Rose Ballroom
Rundāle Palace, the main interior staircase
Rundāle Palace, ceiling detail in the Green Room
Rundāle Palace, the Green Room
Rundāle Palace, a cherub in the Gold Ballroom
Rundāle Palace, the Gold Ballroom
Rundāle Palace, the Blue Room
Updated: April, 2021
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