Pelči Manor Castle

The estate buildings of Pelči Manor primarily developed at the end of the 19th century. Its central part consists of the manor house, a horse stable, a residence for the stable hands (1893), a barn with an ice cellar, the steward’s house, and more distant servants’ houses. The manor house was built between 1903 and 1904, based on a design created in 1900 by architect Vilhelms Neimanis. The commissioner of the Pelči Manor project was Baron Michael Lieven. In this work, V. Neimanis sought to create a clear and logical structure and layout, thereby returning to the symmetrical building type characteristic of Courland Classicism, with three risalits. However, forms from other styles were also used. The roof design was borrowed from French Renaissance, while the layout adhered more closely to the traditions of Baroque and Classicism. The same can be seen in the facade details—Gothic influences appear in the porch column capitals, while the origins of other decorative elements can be traced to examples from German Renaissance and Art Nouveau. The architect harmonized this apparent diversity without favoring any single style, focusing instead on a traditional form as the primary means of creating the building’s expressiveness.

The manor house was built from bricks produced at the Kaltiņi brickworks, covered with perfectly smooth, orange-red bricks imported from Germany. Luxurious, finely crafted bas-reliefs, wood carvings inside the building, door leaves, window grilles, and metalwork for the roof were made on site according to sketches by V. Neimanis. In this way, perfect harmony was achieved between the overall building and each of its details. The manor was equipped with technically modern facilities for its time. The library room with built-in bookcases, a gallery, and spiral staircases have survived to the present day.

The design of the Pelči Manor park was created in 1902 by G. Kūfalts, director of the Riga City Gardens. The 10.2-hectare park, rich in exotic trees and shrubs, was laid out according to the principles of a landscape park.

Pelči Manor is a cultural monument of national significance.