Throwback Thursday - Peterhof Palace

May 2011 - St. Petersburg Russia

Many things blew us away in Russia but one of our favourites was Peterhof Palace.

The Peterhof Palace is a series of palaces and gardens laid out on the orders of Peter the Great. These palaces and gardens are sometimes referred as the "Russian Versailles". The palace-ensemble along with the city center is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

.

The Grand Cascade is modelled on one constructed for Louis XIV at his Château de Marly, which is likewise memorialized in one of the park's outbuildings.

.

At the centre of the cascade is an artificial grotto with two stories, faced inside and out with hewn brown stone. It currently contains a modest museum of the fountains' history. One of the exhibits is a table carrying a bowl of (artificial) fruit, a replica of a similar table built under Peter's direction. The table is rigged with jets of water that soak visitors when they reach for the fruit, a feature from Mannerist gardens that remained popular in Germany. The grotto is connected to the palace above and behind by a hidden corridor.
.

The fountains of the Grand Cascade are located below the grotto and on either side of it. There are 64 fountains. Their waters flow into a semicircular pool, the terminus of the fountain-lined Sea Channel. In the 1730s, the large Samson Fountain was placed in this pool. It depicts the moment when Samson tears open the jaws of a lion, representing Russia's victory over Sweden in the Great Northern War, and is doubly symbolic. The lion is an element of the Swedish coat of arms, and one of the great victories of the war was won on St Samson's Day. From the lion's mouth shoots a 20-metre-high vertical jet of water, the highest in all of Peterhof. This masterpiece by Mikhail Kozlovsky was looted by the invading Germans during the Second World War. A replica of the statue was installed in 1947.

.

Perhaps the greatest technological achievement of Peterhof is that all of the fountains operate without the use of pumps. Water is supplied from natural springs and collects in reservoirs in the Upper Gardens. The elevation difference creates the pressure that drives most of the fountains of the Lower Gardens, including the Grand Cascade. The Samson Fountain is supplied by a special aqueduct, over four km in length, drawing water and pressure from a high-elevation source.

SECURE

 One Word Sunday

Royal Palace Madrid Spain

Golden

One Word Sunday

Emerald Palace Bangkok Thailand

British Isles Friday

Joy's Book Blog is hosting this weekly meme.

May 2010 - London England

Kensington Palace has been a residence of the British Royal Family since the 17th century, and is the official London residence of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince Harry, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, the Duke and Duchess of Kent and Prince and Princess Michael of Kent.

 This link will take you to a great article showing inside the palace.

Today, the State Rooms are open to the public and managed by the independent charity Historic Royal Palaces, a nonprofit organization that does not receive public funds. The offices and private accommodation areas of the Palace remain the responsibility of the Royal Household and are maintained by the Royal Household Property Section.

In 1981, in the part of the palace that George I had built for the Duchess of Kendal, Apartments 8 and 9 were combined to create the London residence of the newly married Prince of Wales and his wife, Diana, and it remained the official residence of Diana after their divorce until her death. Her sons, Princes William and Harry were raised in Kensington Palace and went to local nursery and pre-preparatory schools in Notting Hill, which is a short drive away. According to Andrew Morton, the palace was a "children's paradise" with its long passageways, a helicopter pad, and many outdoor gardens, including one on the roof where the family spent many hours.

Queen Victoria sculpted by her daughter Princess Louise.

I snapped a few photos before being told sternly that no photos were allowed.

The lion and unicorn holding the Hanoverian coat of arms on top of the gate piers are made of Coade Stone. Coade stone is an artificial stone and is, in fact, a ceramic. More durable and weather resistant than natural stone, it was used extensively by leading architects of the day, such as Robert Adam, for delicate and detailed exterior decoration. The Coade factory in Lambeth was run by Eleanor Coade.

Images and information below found at My Luscious Life.

Kensington Palace: Who’s where

1. Apartment 1: A 21-room home to the Duke of Gloucester, the Queen’s first cousin, and his wife.

2. Apartment 1A: William, Kate and George’s new home.

3. State Apartments: These apartments are available for hire, with prices from £6,500 per room.

4. Apartment 10: This five-bedroom, five-reception-room is home to Prince and Princess Michael of Kent.

5. Apartments 8 and 9: Princess Diana’s official residence before her death.

6. Wren House: The home of the Queen’s cousin, Prince Edward, the Duke of Kent.

7. Apartment 4A: A modest living quarter formerly used by the Queen’s director of property services.

8. Apartment 4B: Once home to Prince Charles’ former private secretary, Sir Michael Peat. He used to pay £47,000 of his £250,000-a-year salary to live there.

9. Nottingham Cottage: William and Kate’s current home. Prince Harry will move in once the couple move into Apartment 1A.

10. The other apartments: Small apartments occupied by royal employees, who pay a small proportion of their salary in rent.