Priory Palace in Gatchina
Priory Palace is located in Gatchina, on the shore of the Black Lake. The castle was built from June 15, 1798 to August 22, 1799 by architect N. A. Lvov for the French Prince Condé. The Prior of the Order of Malta, who had lost the lion’s share of his possessions during the French Revolution, asked Paul I for help. The emperor did not refuse asylum, having built for the prince a “monastery landed estate”. Prieuré means “small monastery” in French, so the name Priory has stuck to the palace. The Priory Palace is the only surviving building in Russia built using the earthwork technology: layers of compacted loam were impregnated with lime mortar.
