«The park is regaining its historical appearance during the second stage of restoration, which we began in 2024,» said Aleksandr Loiko, Director of the Mir Castle Complex Museum. «The name ‘Italian garden’ is also historical. It was first recorded in the 1698 inventory. The 1692 inventory already mentions a gardener. In 1699, a bridge was built leading to the garden from the second floor of the North Wing. The surviving documents mention the amount paid to bricklayers for its construction. With the recreation of the ancient garden centuries later, the bridge, which in our day was used mainly for photo sessions of castle guests, is returning to its original purpose. All of this together will become another unique location on the grounds of the castle complex, adding charm to the historic castle and providing yet another window into its rich history.»
According to specialists, the then-owner of Mir Castle, Prince Karol Stanisław Radziwiłł «the Just» showed a particular interest in gardens and parks as he traveled across Europe. It is possible that much of what he saw he decided to implement on his own estates. According to the 1713 inventory, the Italian garden featured lavender, roses, violets, nasturtiums, carnations, barberry, sage, medicinal wormwood, marjoram, Turkish melons, figs, chicory, artichokes, various lettuces, radishes, celery, and numerous other plants.However, the main guide for recreating the authentic appearance of the garden was the complete inventory of 1746. It contained the most detailed description of the layout and plantings, which formed the basis of the project.
At that time, Mir Castle was owned by Prince Michał Kazimierz Radziwiłł «Rybonka», another representative of the famous magnate dynasty. Under him, the Italian garden consisted of allées-streets, «planted with espaliers of various trees», with «squares on both sides». The garden was made up of 25 such squares, which were called quarters and were arranged with regular bosquet compositions of shrubs and fruit trees, creating a kind of outdoor rooms. The edging of the quarters were made of currants, gooseberries, and lavender; with fruit trees, rootstocks, medicinal inside. Some were left empty allowing the land to rest.
Behind the garden there were greenhouses, utility buildings, an orangery, the gardener’s house, and further on, the kitchen garden. According to the 1778 inventory, the orangery contained about 40 orange trees and more than 150 lemon trees and also figs, myrtle, cypress, laurel, boxwood, mahogany, Italian walnut, and other exotic plants. Earthen benches in the garden were covered with turf. The composition of the garden, already influenced by Dutch garden art, was complemented by a canal, part of which was turned into a pond in 2002. Subsequent known inventories contain information that the garden gradually decreased in size and by 1830 had fallen into decline, as after the war of 1812 the owners lived abroad.
«The second stage of restoration, namely the recreation of the regular garden from the mid-18th century, began in the summer of 2024,» the director continues. «When preparing the documentation for the work, we collaborated closely with scientists from the National Academy of Sciences and members of the Culture Council at the Culture Ministry of Belarus. The project was completed in 2019 by the Minskproekt institute. According to it, the reconstructed Italian garden will feature a fountain on the pond, a decorative spillway resembling a grotto, paths made of soil mix with sand and gravel added, a central alley, gazebos, small architectural compositions, lighting for the greenery and paths, and a small parking lot.»
Today, the restored area of 5.7 hectares includes 18 plant parterres, nine on each side of the central axis.
The boundary of the regular park is marked by a hedge of shrubs. Along the outer perimeter, young linden trees have been planted, with maples, hornbeams, larches, and lilacs located slightly further away.
In front of the entrance to the Italian garden, shiny cotoneaster has been planted. This shrub grows to a height of 2-3 meters, blooms in May-June for 30 days, and in autumn its dark green leaves turn orange-purple. In the center of the garden, hedges of alpine currant and gooseberry form the quarters. Inside of them are lavender, hyssop, multi-flowered flax, blue fescue, yarrow, sedum, purple-leaved heuchera, sage, catnip, and many other plants. The garden also features plantings of apple and cherry trees.
Visitors can also sit on a turf bench and see the Moorish lawn, which is mown once per season (in September) and features more than 30 plant species.
According to specialists, the plants have been selected for frost resistance. More than 50% of them were planted a year ago and have already successfully endured the test of a dry summer and harsh winter. The garden will reach its full strength and beauty in about five years. Trees and shrubs need that time to mature.
The landscape is diversified by 31 cozy benches and four pergola gazebos entwined with greenery, with climbing roses and honeysuckle planted nearby. Beyond the fence lies a shady five-meter linden espalier, whose crowns will over time be shaped into cubes.
At night, the central area of the park will be illuminated by round in-ground lights built directly into the paths, while along the outer perimeter beyond the fence, classical lanterns on elegant wrought-iron curved legs will provide lighting.
The Italian garden, recreated to reflect its mid-18th-century appearance, is slated for opening in the autumn of this year and is timed to coincide with the 500th anniversary of the first mention of Mir Castle in written historical sources.
