Priorat Palace
Photo: Alexander Konovalenko, CC BY-SA 2.5 · Wikimedia Commons
Russia's only palace built of earth.
This white castle with a red tile roof is built of earth. Architect Nikolai Lvov erected it in 1799 using rammed-earth technology: layers of compacted loam were poured with lime mortar. The palace walls, the fence, and the outbuildings were made this way. It is the only surviving structure of this kind in Russia. The palace was intended for the prior of the Order of Malta: Emperor Paul I had then become Grand Master of the order. The name "Priorat" comes from the French for "small monastery".
Tip: Knock on the wall: it doesn't sound like stone. Walk around the palace along the Black Lake.
Walks in Peterhof / Day trips
🏰 Gatchina: Orlov's castle and a palace made of earth
The only castle in the suburbs of Petersburg, the earth-built Priory Palace and the radial Sylvia Park.