The Italian Palace is one of the few buildings in Kronstadt that has stood since the city’s earliest days. Built between 1720 and 1724, it predates most of its neighbors. Johann Braunstein designed it as a residence for the imperial family, though its purpose changed over time. By the late 1720s, it had been expanded, and its grand hall lined with Italian marble—a detail that set it apart.
Why it’s called the Italian Palace isn’t entirely clear. Some link the name to the Italian craftsmen Governor Menshikov brought in. Others say it was the style that inspired it, despite the German architect and builders. For a while, it was even called the Menshikov Palace, though the real one stood across the dock canal. Names, like history, often outlast their origins.
The Admiralty College took over in the mid-18th century but left the palace largely unchanged, saving it for potential imperial visits. Then, in 1771, after a fire in St. Petersburg, the Naval Cadet Corps moved in. They renovated the building and added an astronomical observatory tower. A painting by Barishev from this period shows the palace for the first time with some accuracy. The cadets stayed until 1798, when Paul I ordered them out, and the Navigation School took their place, remaining until 1872.
The biggest changes came in the mid-19th century. Architect Akutin, with input from Vasily Stasov, led a major reconstruction. Two three-story wings were added, connected by a covered corridor. The ground-floor arches were filled in, the southern wing was raised to four stories, and an octagonal wooden tower for maritime telegraphy went up. A new grand entrance cut into the southern facade led to a cast-iron staircase inside. The courtyard was reshaped too—new outbuildings appeared, including a bathhouse, laundry, icehouses, and stables. The western side became the Cadet Garden, enclosed by a wrought-iron fence. By the end, little of the original Petrine Baroque interiors remained.
Now, the palace looks like a 19th-century building, but beneath the facade lies something much older. The Italian Pond is nearby, along with the Blue Bridge and its tide gauge. Petrovsky Park is just steps away. Together, they make this corner of Kronstadt feel like a place where history lingers. Walk through the gates, and you might almost hear the footsteps of those who came before.
