The outer ward - view of the Palace
Palace.
Among the most important architectural landmarks of Żagań is undoubtedly the baroque palace from the seventeenth century, which was built on the site of the former ducal castle. The year one thousand six hundred and twenty-seven marked a pivotal moment when the Emperor of Austria, Ferdinand the Second, sold the Żagań duchy to Albrecht Wallenstein. Wallenstein knew that the austere interiors of the medieval castle would not meet his demands. Therefore, he decided to erect a new building on the fort's site, combining defensive with representative functions – it was the pallazzo in fortezza. The Italian architect Vincenzo Boccaccio was to help him achieve this goal. The construction of the palace began in one thousand six hundred and thirty, but Wallenstein's death interrupted the building works.
By the mid-seventeenth century, the Żagań duchy became the property of the princely family of Lobkowitz, and the architect Antonio dellaPorta was entrusted with creating the design for the new residence. Initially, the concept by the ducal master builder was reminiscent of the residence of the commander of the Thirty Years' War, but it later changed under the influence of the Lobkowitz family's ancestral home in Roudnice nad Labem. During the reign of the Czech lineage, the Żagań palace served more as a symbol of their rule than a residence, as they visited the estate sporadically. However, they are credited with the exterior appearance of our Żagań palace.
When Peter Biron became the owner of the palace, he made significant changes to its interiors, leaving the facade untouched. The building was modernized and adapted to the needs of the princely family. Christian Schultz was entrusted with overseeing the renovation and plasterwork.
The reign of the youngest daughter of the Duke of Courland – Dorota Talleyrand-Périgord – marked a new flourishing era for the residence. Actions taken in the second half of the nineteen forties resulted in the ducal residence in Żagań and its surrounding space gaining an entirely new quality. All alterations to the palace's external architecture had one shared goal – to more closely connect the building with its surrounding space. These changes were so significant that they were preserved by Dorota's successors, ensuring that the Żagań palace has largely survived to the present day in the form it received around one thousand eight hundred and fifty, and the gouaches created at that time now constitute a valuable iconographic material.
Among the most important architectural landmarks of Żagań is undoubtedly the baroque palace from the seventeenth century, which was built on the site of the former ducal castle. The year one thousand six hundred and twenty-seven marked a pivotal moment when the Emperor of Austria, Ferdinand the Second, sold the Żagań duchy to Albrecht Wallenstein. Wallenstein knew that the austere interiors of the medieval castle would not meet his demands. Therefore, he decided to erect a new building on the fort's site, combining defensive with representative functions – it was the pallazzo in fortezza. The Italian architect Vincenzo Boccaccio was to help him achieve this goal. The construction of the palace began in one thousand six hundred and thirty, but Wallenstein's death interrupted the building works.
By the mid-seventeenth century, the Żagań duchy became the property of the princely family of Lobkowitz, and the architect Antonio dellaPorta was entrusted with creating the design for the new residence. Initially, the concept by the ducal master builder was reminiscent of the residence of the commander of the Thirty Years' War, but it later changed under the influence of the Lobkowitz family's ancestral home in Roudnice nad Labem. During the reign of the Czech lineage, the Żagań palace served more as a symbol of their rule than a residence, as they visited the estate sporadically. However, they are credited with the exterior appearance of our Żagań palace.
When Peter Biron became the owner of the palace, he made significant changes to its interiors, leaving the facade untouched. The building was modernized and adapted to the needs of the princely family. Christian Schultz was entrusted with overseeing the renovation and plasterwork.
The reign of the youngest daughter of the Duke of Courland – Dorota Talleyrand-Périgord – marked a new flourishing era for the residence. Actions taken in the second half of the nineteen forties resulted in the ducal residence in Żagań and its surrounding space gaining an entirely new quality. All alterations to the palace's external architecture had one shared goal – to more closely connect the building with its surrounding space. These changes were so significant that they were preserved by Dorota's successors, ensuring that the Żagań palace has largely survived to the present day in the form it received around one thousand eight hundred and fifty, and the gouaches created at that time now constitute a valuable iconographic material.