An absolutely impressive palace! In 1795, Tsarina Catherine II granted her grandchildren's governess, Charlotte von Lieven, the usufruct of the Mesothen estate. Tsar Paul I transformed this into a hereditary right of the Lieven family and elevated Charlotte von Lieven to the rank of countess in 1799. In 1826, her foster son, Tsar Nicholas I, elevated her to the rank of princess. Charlotte von Lieven lived with the royal family in Saint Petersburg. She visited her estate in Mesothen only once: in 1818, she accompanied Maria Feodorovna on her journey to Germany and spent the night there on September 2. After Charlotte's death in 1828, her son Johann inherited the property.[1]
Construction of the palace began in 1797 under the direction of Johann Georg Berlitz and was completed in 1802.[2] Berlitz worked based on designs by Giacomo Quarenghi and modified them slightly by adding side wings to the castle. An English landscaped park and other buildings were added to the ensemble. The existing old manor house on the castle grounds was renovated and converted into the caretaker's residence.