Beli dvor

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White Palace
Бели двор / Beli dvor

Front entrance of the White Palace
General information
Architectural style neopalladian
Location Dedinje, Belgrade
Country Serbia
Coordinates 44°46′13.37″N 20°26′55.57″E / 44.7703806°N 20.4487694°E / 44.7703806; 20.4487694
Construction started 1934
Completed 1937
Owner Serbian government
Design and construction
Architect Aleksandar Đorđević

The White Palace (Serbian: Бели двор / Beli dvor) is a former royal residence of the Karađorđević dynasty. The palace is located in the Royal Compound, in the Dedinje neighborhood of Belgrade.[1]

The White Palace located in the same complex as the Royal Palace, the official residence of the Karađorđević royal family. The palace was designed by architect Aleksandar Đorđević, in a neo-Palladian manner inspired by the 18th century English houses such as Ditchley Park. Its interior was decorated with English Georgian and 19th century Russian antiques by the French design firm Jansen, which later decorated the White House during the administration of John F. Kennedy.[2]

History

The palace was commissioned and built with the personal funds of King Alexander I for his three son's.[1] Alexander was assassinated during a state visit to Marseille, France, the same year construction on the palace began. Supervision of construction was overtaken by the Prince Regent Paul until its completion in 1937. Queen Maria and her three sons, including the 11-year-old King Peter II, continued to reside in the Royal Palace during this time.[1] Prince Paul was the only member of the royal family to reside in the palace before the outbreak of the Second World War and invasion of Yugoslavia.

Following the end of the war, the new communist government seized the assets and property of the royal family. Beli dvor was periodically used by presidents Josip Broz Tito and later by Slobodan Milošević for official state functions and foreign visits. Milošević received U.S. envoy Richard Holbrook at the palace before the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia began, Milošević later officially resigned his presidency in front of the palace fireplace.[3]

The White Palace is open to the public visitations on weekends, during the tourist season from April to November.[4]

The Royal Compound has also participated in Tourism Fairs in Belgrade and Novi Sad and during the Days of the European Cultural Heritage.[5][6]

Art collection

The qualified tour guides at the Palace will tell any visitor that Beli dvor's notable works of art include paintings by: Piero di Cosimo, Biagio d'Antonio, Nicolas Poussin (3 works), Giovanni Cariani, Sébastien Bourdon, Albrecht Altdorfer, Titian, Rembrandt (2 attributions), Palma Vecchio (2 paintings), Carlo Caliari, Peter Paul Rubens, Simon Vouet, two paintings by Brueghel, Antonio Canaletto, Eugène Delacroix, Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux, Giuseppe Crespi, Nicolae Grigorescu, Franz Xaver Winterhalter, Eugène Fromentin, Gaspard Dughet, Richard Parkes Bonington, Đura Jakšić, Ivan Meštrović, Vlaho Bukovac and others. This collection was created by Prince Paul of Yugoslavia. Also the green and white Sèvres porcelain service was purchased by him in 1932 in Paris from the gallery Charpentier. The service once belonged to the Comte d'Artois.

Lootings and theft

Many works-of-art were looted by communist Partisans in 1944, following the liberation of Belgrade from German occupation. One of looted pieces includes Rembrandt school's painting 'Klint Tabie Maximus'.[7]

Selected works of art

Main hallway of the White Palace

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "The White Palace". royalfamily.org. Retrieved July 12, 2013. 
  2. ↑ James Archer Abbott, Jansen, New York: Acanthus Press, 2005
  3. ↑ "Čas istorije na Belom dvoru" (in Serbian). Stil magazin. Retrieved 12 July 2013. 
  4. ↑ The Office of HRH Crown Prince Alexander II, Palaces open for visitors until 25 November 2007 (press release), Belgrade, 7 November 2007.
  5. ↑ The Office of HRH Crown Prince Alexander II, Palaces welcome European heritage and extended tourist season (press release), Belgrade, 11 September 2007.
  6. ↑ The Office of HRH Crown Prince Alexander II, Royal Compound presented at Novi Sad Fair 9–12 October (press release), Belgrade, 9 October 2007.
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  • Stari Konak(demolished)
  • Mali Dvorac(demolished)
  • Maršalat Dvora(demolished)
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