20-year restoration of Dukes of Courland sarcophagi completed in Latvia

After more than two decades of meticulous work, one of Latvia's most extensive cultural heritage restoration projects has concluded at Jelgava Castle. Four intricately restored tin sarcophagi belonging to the Dukes of Courland have been consecrated, marking the culmination of a project spanning over twenty years.

The restoration process, which demanded exceptional precision, patience, and professional skill, involved carefully cleaning the sarcophagi while preserving inscriptions and remnants of polychromy. Restorer Jānis Līdaka from the Rundāle Palace Museum described the process as one where new and original parts are so seamlessly integrated that it becomes difficult to distinguish between them.

Alongside the consecrated sarcophagi, a new exhibition has been unveiled. This exhibition showcases, for the first time, the restored clothing of the children interred within the crypt. This addition provides a more intimate glimpse into the lives of the ducal family's youngest members.

The completion of this project represents a significant achievement in preserving Latvia's historical and cultural legacy, ensuring that these important artifacts of the Ketler dynasty are protected and accessible for future generations.

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He is washed quite thoroughly. Carefully, diligently trying to preserve all the inscriptions, all the remnants of polychromy that remain, and then the parts that are cast anew are toned. As a result, I myself don't really know what has been added and what has not.