The Marly Palace appeared in Peterhof after the visit of Peter I to Marly-le-Roi - the residence of Louis XIV in 1717. Experts at all times believed that this is the most elegant, modest and at the same time graceful building of Peterhof.
Location
Marley Palace (Peterhof) is located on the western section of the Lower Park, almost at its border. To the east of it is the Marlin Pond, and to the west - Sectorial Ponds.
The building was not planned as an exact copy of the French residence. Marly's Palace (Peterhof) is unique, and with the French prototype it is united only by a compositional solution. The emperor borrowed only the idea of the purpose of the complex - a combination of decorative and economic.
Peterhof, Marley's palace : history
The palace was built in 1723. The author of the project was the famous architect Johann Braunstein. Initially, he planned the construction of a one-story building, but later Peter I personally corrected the project, deciding that the palace should be two-story. The king’s idea turned out to be very successful: such a decision helped to make the project complete, proportional, harmonious.
The Marley Palace in Peterhof (photo you can see in this article) was built in three years. Its main highlight is the location. In front of a bright, beautiful building, there is a man-made pond with an almost smooth surface, creating a striking picture of a huge mirror in which the palace is reflected. Once a fish was bred in the pond, which, upon the ringing of a bell, swam up to feed.
At the end of the 19th century, cracks appeared on the walls of the palace. In 1899, the building was dismantled to the ground and put on a completely new foundation. It should be noted that, despite such a complex reconstruction, the original elements of the structure were preserved.
The destruction of the palace
During the war with the Nazis, the invaders created a firing point in the palace, and then blew it up (1944). After the war, the facades of the building were restored, designed by Eugene Kazan. The interiors of the building were recreated under the direction of A. Hesse. Marley Palace (Peterhof) found its original appearance in 1954. The last restoration of the building was carried out in 1982. After its completion, a museum was opened here.
Architecture
Marley Palace (Peterhof) is an elegant building, which was intended for the residence of the highest nobility. Catherine I often lived in Marley with her daughters. For some time, Anna (her eldest daughter) lived here with her husband, the Duke of Holstein. Marly's Palace (Peterhof) received the French ambassador Shetardy under his vaults. He contributed to the accession of Elizabeth Petrovna to the throne. In the XIX century, Nicholas I often stayed in Marley with his wife, as well as Tsarevich Alexander Nikolaevich.
Thousands of tourists annually seek to see Peterhof. Marley - a palace whose dimensions are quite impressive, attracts visitors with its exquisite rigor and elegance.
Its area is 113 square meters. The building is completed by a four-pitched mansard roof, which has complex outlines characteristic of that period. The Montbijou palace near Berlin was famous for this form of roofing, so in the forties of the 18th century Marley was often called Montbijou. The beauty of the palace does not lie in splendor and luxury, but in harmonious architectural proportions and exquisite decoration. Its eastern and western walls are decorated with rust, and small windows are decorated with original platbands. Balconies with elegant lattices made in the form of patterns of leaves and monograms give the building grace.
Interior decoration
All guests are amazed at the Marley Palace in Peterhof. The photo inside the palace does not convey the fullness of the sensations that visitors experience. Only at his visit can you appreciate the beauty of this structure.
On the ground floor there were utility rooms - a pantry, a secretary, a kitchen. The main hall was not here. He was replaced by the lobby. In those days it was called the front hall. The kitchen walls are covered with unique hand-painted tiles. And today here you can see the English tin and porcelain Chinese dishes preserved from those times.
On the second floor were Chinarovy and Oak cabinets. The most valuable species of plane trees and oak were used in their design. There was also a dining room and a living room, a dressing room and a library, as well as a bedroom. The floor in the latter was pine, and the walls were sheathed with oak paneling. A small but very valuable collection of paintings by talented artists from Western Europe of the 18th century, unique handmade furniture and a library has been preserved to this day.
Marley Palace from the middle of the XVIII century turned into a memorial relic, where for many years personal belongings and clothes of Peter I were kept.
Garden
During the construction of the palace, the Marlin Garden was also created. Peter I planned to grow in it fruits for the royal table. A large pond divided it into two parts: the Bacchus Garden, located in the southern part, and the Venus Garden, which is located to the north. In the latter, fruits were grown. They tried to turn the Bacchus garden into a vineyard, but all attempts to get a crop were unsuccessful.
Collections
I must say that in the middle of the XVIII century, no one specifically planned to turn the Marley Palace into a house museum. The unique collection of things of the Russian emperor was moved from the Wooden Palace of Peter I. It was located west of Marley, on the shore of the bay. "For dilapidation" he was demolished under Elizabeth Petrovna.
So they got into Marley: kitchen utensils, a quilt, which according to legend was sewn by Catherine I (now it is stored in the palace of Peter I in Strelna), a silver table set and other things belonging to the Russian emperor.
Currently, the Marley collection consists of unique exhibits - this is the emperor’s caftan with the embroidered Order of the First-Called, and his overcoat, and a table with an “aspid” board created by the hands of Emperor Peter himself, and rare books. Here is a collection of works by little-known Flemish, Italian and Dutch artists of the XVII century: Stork, Silo, Celesti, Belotti and others.
Fishing
Residents of St. Petersburg know how interesting fishing in Peterhof is. At the Marley Palace in the Lower Park in Sectoral Ponds, you can still go fishing today. Everyone is invited to catch the fish, and then pay its cost. All the necessary equipment is provided completely free of charge, as well as the help of an instructor.
Such an unusual service (or entertainment) is available from the first half of May until the end of September. When fishing, you can catch sturgeon on a fishing rod. The nibble here is excellent, everyone's catch is guaranteed. If necessary, the instructor will help adults and children. Just ten minutes later, the caught fish is on the shore. Only its weight is paid.
When guests catch a sturgeon, and then (optionally) release it into a reservoir (sport fishing) - only the cost of fishing is paid. Fish can be taken with you or cooked in a restaurant located nearby. Sturgeon is baked whole and served at the table. The whole cooking process does not take more than 40 minutes. Guests can expect fish readiness in the restaurant or go on a further walk in the Lower Park and return to the restaurant at the appointed time.
Marley Palace is one of Peterhof's most modest buildings, but for many visitors it has become a favorite place. Although the facades of the palace are decorated with rather laconic details, and inside there are only twelve rooms, Marley was and will forever be the most comfortable and homely of all the magnificent palaces of Peter the Great.