In celebrating the 287th anniversary of laying the foundation stone of the palace, the Rundāle Palace Museum will offer the visitors an opportunity to get to know the palace in an unusual way, i.e. by observing contemporary dance performances in the premises of the palace.
In the hour from 17.00 to 18.00, the countrywomen and countrymen from paintings on the tiles of Rundāle Palace stoves will be “brought to life”. They will be impersonated by contemporary dance art students of the Latvian Academy of Culture under the guidance of choreographer Olga Žitluhina.
Dancers will perform in four rooms of the palace – in the “Italian Salon”, the Duke’s Dressing Room and Bedroom, and also in the “Room with Governors’ Portraits”. There are the original tile stoves of Rundāle Palace in all of these rooms, meanwhile the stoves in the Duke’s Bedroom deserve special attention as they are the only tile stoves in the palace which have survived without rebuilding since 1740 with insignificant damages.
This year, the main event of the celebration will be the opening of the book “Stoves of Rundāle Palace” by Lauma Lancmane and Valda Vilīte. This publication containing a wealth of illustrations details the history of making, preservation, and restoration of stoves of Rundāle Palace, the master craftsmen, the types and scenes of stoves which are used in painting of the tiles. The publication also provides description of all elements of the historical heating system of the palace (not only stoves but also fireplaces, hearths, flues, chimneys) and includes information on the stoves which did not survive.
The book is bilingual, with texts in Latvian and English. Colour photographs include close-ups of details which usually remain unseen by the visitors of the palace. There will be a possibility to buy the book in the museum on 24th May for a special price.
The stoves of Rundāle Palace are considered to be the largest stove ensemble of the second quarter of the 18th century. The ensemble was created during the first stage of the palace construction in the time period from 1737 to 1740.