Cesis Mediaeval Castle Ruins and Manor Complex - Cesis History and Art Museum

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Cesis Castle of Livonian Order was strated to build in 1220. Castello type structure with time turned in fortified complex with three wide foreparts. Castle was the residence of the head knight of the Order since 1237. Circular ordnance towers were built at the end of the 15th century - beginning of the 16th century. The cylindrical upper part of the Northern tower was used for residental premises and bedroom. The central hall was covered with sidereal vaultings but the pargeted walls were decorated with religious paintings. These premises were warmed by hearth, there also were such conveniences as toilet. Building of residental premises was finished in 1522. Castle was partly ruined at the time of Livonian War and later repaired. Since the beginning of the 18th century Cesis Mediaeval Castle was forsaken and used by local inhabitants as an extractive-field of building materials. In the beginning of the 19th century old castle ruins became the romantic part of newly created landscape park.

The old household buildings at the castle foreparts were adapted for the needs of manor at the end of the 16th century. The new centre of Cesis manor was created at the place of Eastern Forepart the second half of the 18th century. All its buildings as well as the New Palace (built for Count Carl Ernst von Zeever in 1777) were built in architectural forms of Baroque. New Palace was built using Eastern part of the Order's Castle ruins and and so called Lademaher's Tower. At the beginning of the 19th century the tower got new Neo-Gothical shapes. The upper-part of Northern Tower was renovated, stellar vaults were solidified and the new roof was built in period 1912-1914. The so called Long Hermann Tower was partly renovated in 1937.

Now the New Palace houses Cēsis Local History and Art Museum. The old Stables are used as exhibition hall. Former Granary and Brewery are managed by Cēsis Brewery.

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_Address: Cēsu Vēstures un mākslas muzejs, Pils iela 9 Cesis Cesis District LV 4100

The English version of this website was developed during implementation of the project "Living castles and manors: development of cultural tourism in Lithuania and Latvia", supported by EU PHARE 2002 program "Cross Border Cooperation - Special Action in favour of the Baltic Sea Region" Small Project Fund Scheme.

Translation: Baltic Media Ltd, 2005