GARDEN AND SUMMER PALACE

The Summer "palace" appears very modest in size and volume in comparison with the gigantic silhouette of the Winter palace located just a few meters away. The building, designed by the Swiss-Italian architect Domenico Trezzini, is well worth a visit, especially for its pleasant garden bordered by the Neva River and three canals. With the Fontanka, the left branch of the Neva River, running along its main façade, this palace was built on the instructions of Peter the Great in 1710 and can be considered a remnant of what St Petersburg was before it became the capital. He was facing the Maisonnette de Pierre, where Pierre lived the rest of the year to monitor the progress of the work on the Pierre and Paul Fortress.

At the end of the 18th century, the garden became very fashionable. A certain Svinine wrote at the beginning of the 19th century: "Before ten o'clock, there are only sick people walking around there to follow the advice of their doctors. Between ten and twelve o'clock, the velvety lawns of the garden are filled with groups of children supervised by pretty nannies or governesses. At two o'clock in the afternoon, the scene changes: it's time for the St. Petersburg Beauty Walk. "Every year, a kind of "beauty contest" is organized in the Summer Garden for the daughters of rich merchants: young girls, accompanied by their mothers, stand along the alleys, while the young merchants, while walking, choose a bride. These festivities no longer take place today, but the garden remains a favourite walking spot for the St. Petersburgers, in this city surrounded by water and stingy with green spaces.

If you take the central alley you will soon see Italian statues. A veritable open-air museum of sculpture, the Summer Garden now boasts some 92 statues. The alleys are surprisingly quiet in the midst of the hustle and bustle of the centre. The appearance of these statues gives the Summer Garden the surrealist side of a miniature of Versailles. Be careful, however, in the middle of winter, the statues are protected from frost in small wooden cabins or kept warm. The garden then loses much of its interest.

The palace, at the far end of the garden, attests to the simple tastes of the Tsar and his attraction to the Dutch style. In particular, some of the personal effects of Peter I and Catherine I are on display