Dadiani Palace

Dadiani Palaces History and Architectural Museum (დადიანების სასახლეთა ისტორიულ-არქიტექტურული მუზეუმი) is a Georgian national museum located in Zugdidi, Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti region, Georgia. The museum – the preserved former palace of the House of Dadiani – is considered to be one of the most eminent palaces in the Caucasus. Constructed in the 17th century and renovated in the 19th, the palace is a Neo Gothic building.

History
The first exhibition, of archaeological excavations of the ancient city of Nakalakevi was prepared by Megrelian prince David Dadiani and took place in 1840. Three palaces form the modern museum complex, parts of which are also Blachernae Virgin Church and Zugdidi Botanical Garden. The Dadiani Palaces History and Architecture Museum houses some exhibits of natural cultural heritage of Georgia – Tagiloni treasure materials, Mother of God holy vesture, the icon of queen Bordokhan – mother of queen Tamar of Georgia, manuscripts from 13th – 14th centuries, miniatures, memorial relics of Dadiani dynasty, and objects connected to emperor of France Napoleon Bonaparte – brought to the palace by the husband of David Dadiani's daughter Salome Dadiani, prince Prince Charles Louise Napoléon Achille Murat (1847-1895), grandson of Napoleon's sister Caroline Bonaparte.

The palace was fully transformed into a museum on May 1, 1921, at the initiative of Georgian ethnographer and geologist Akaki Chanturia.

Archaeological collection
In early 1848, the prince of Samegrelo, David Dadiani, showed guests the archaeological and numismatic collection from Nokalakevi, an archaeological site in Samegrelo. Some of the exhibits were found by Dadiani himself, and some were purchased by him from settlers in his domain. The most important archaeological dig by David Dadiani was at Nokalakevi – known in antiquity as Archeopolis.