Beautiful palaces in Georgia. Visit the estate of the Princes Dadiani in Zugdidi.
Nowadays Dadiani Palace is a real unique historical monument, which consists of palaces, churches and a garden. The museum in the estate is one of the oldest in Georgia. Among the numerous exhibits in the museum, you should pay attention to the mask of Napoleon, the saber of Shamil, works by various artists and much more.
Historical facts
The Dadiani Palace is located in the center of the city of Zugdidi, in former times it was the residence of the rulers of the Samegrelo – Georgian princes of the Dadiani family.
The ruler of Odisha Levan II Dadiani (1611-1657) began the construction of castles throughout the country, while famous writers note that the palaces in Zugdidi are distinguished by the quality of construction and unusual interior decoration.
The castle that has survived to this day was erected for Princess Catherine. The architect used the Vorontsov Palace in Crimea for inspiration, so you can notice some external similarity in architecture.
The second part was built for the princess's son, Niko, who became the last ruler of Megrelian, since he abdicated the throne in the future. The two-storey Niko Dadiani Palace was built by the Russian architect Vasiliev in the 80s of the XIX century.
Ekaterina Chavchavadze in the 60s of the XIX century carried out the reconstruction of the Dadiani Palace, turning to the German architect Rais, who used the Gothic style when updating the palace.
Currently, the "Dadiani Palace" is a historical monument and consists of palaces, a court church and a botanical garden.
What you can see today
The Palace of the Princes Dadiani in Zugdidi is considered the most beautiful residence of the Megrelian rulers and the only preserved European castle in Georgia.
The architectural complex is a unique combination of imperial and national motifs of Georgian architecture.
Here you can see:
- arched doorways,
- elegant stucco molding,
- original window frames that adorn the exterior facade,
- the inner princely chambers made in the Persian style.
- Про организацию музея
The Dadiani Palace Museum is one of the oldest in Georgia. Back in 1839, David Dadiani founded a personal museum with archaeological, numismatic, military and ethnographic cabinets.
Currently, the museum has about 40,000 exhibits.
Among them, it should be particularly noted:
- the chasuble of the Mother of God,
- the mask of Napoleon Bonaparte,
- the saber of Shamil,
- a collection of works by European and Georgian artists of the XVIII-XX centuries.
- samples of antique and medieval jewelry art (stored in the gold fund of the museum).
The historical and Ethnographic house-museum contains outstanding relics of the XIX century:
- luxurious gilded furniture,
- handmade carpets,
- paintings by artists Ivan Tyurin, Vasily Vereshchagin and Vladimir Mashkov.
- The central element of the exhibition is an Orthodox shrine — the chiton of the Virgin Mary, its appearance is associated with mysterious riddles and legends.
A visit to the ancient church of the XVI century, in the appearance of which the characteristic features of the cross-domed temple can be traced: a clear composition, strict proportions and monumental forms.
The Zugdidi Church of the Mother of God of Blachernae preserves Christian values: part of the belt of the Most Holy Theotokos, the brush of St. Marina, the relics of St. George and St. John.
The amazing atmosphere of the palace complex and the botanical garden allows you to fully experience the greatness of the princely family of Dadiani and enjoy the aroma of shrubby alleys.
39 comments
Log in to leave a comment