Excursion to Mir and Nesvizh Castles
Description:
Castles are a very popular tourist destination. Many of them boast a collection of armor or weapons, antique furniture, parks. And of course, each castle has its own fascinating history. We invite you to get acquainted with the history, legends, legends and secrets of Mir and Nesvizh castles, included in the UNESCO lists as world cultural heritage.
“Lifting bridges, deep ditches, failures,
Steep staircases and vaulted halls,
Where the wind rustles and groans high,
About battles and feasts, telling me...
And, immersed in the dream of the past, I see again
The grandeur of chivalry and the brilliance of the Middle Ages.”
The construction of Mir Castle was started about 500 years ago, when Marshal of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania Yuri Ilyinich began the construction of a real medieval fort on the site of an old feudal estate on the banks of the Miranka River. The thickness of the fortress walls of the castle in some places reaches three meters, and the height of 13 meters, the height of the towers is 25 meters. In the property of the Ilyinich family, the castle did not last long, after half a century it joined the vast possessions of the Radzivils, who transformed the medieval castle into a palace with Renaissance features. During its history, Mir Castle has seen many wars, each of which brought only destruction and plunder. During its history, Mir Castle has seen many wars, each of which brought only destruction and plunder.
That's brief. We will talk more about the history of Mir Castle, its secrets and legends during the tour.
The unique ensemble of ancient Nesvizh allows you to trace how the Baroque appeared and developed in Belarus. Nesvizh was the capital of the Radziwill Empire, the most influential magnates of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Perhaps the most colorful and famous Radziwill Karol Stanislaw (Pane Kohanku) said: “The king is his king in Krakow, and I am in Nesvizh.” The construction of the Nesvizh Castle and the reconstruction of Nesvizh were started in 1583, after Prince Nikolai Radziwill Orphan ordered to build a new one on the site of the former wooden castle burned by the enemy - stone and impregnable, worthy of the name and position of the Radziwills. The construction was supervised by the Italian architect - monk-architect Giovanni Maria Bernardoni. Seven years later, on the right bank of the Ushi River, a powerful fortress appeared, bordered on all sides by a wide moat. The road to it led along a long wooden bridge, which, if necessary, was quickly disassembled. Placement of streets, squares, main buildings was subordinated to the tasks of defense. To this day, two such buildings of great interest have been preserved - the Slutsk Gate and the Castle Gate Tower. City Hall, built in the late 16th century, is the oldest of the buildings of city self-government in Belarus. According to Bernardoni’s projects, a castle, a church, and a Jesuit college were built. Nesvizh parks are wonderful. About 34 unique halls are now open for visitors to the palace.
And that's not all. You will learn more about Nesvizh, the castle and the Radziwills, about secrets and legends during our tour.