Dadiani Palaces Historical-Architectural Museum

It is located in the city of Zugdidi. It was founded in 1854 as a private museum, from 1921 – a state museum; in 2005 it was named Dadiani Palaces Historical-Architectural Museum. It includes two Dadiani palaces (from the 1870s–1890s), the court church, and the botanical garden planted by the Dadianis.

The total area of the museum is 3,675.2 sq.m, exhibition area – 1,098 sq. m, storage area – 986.8 sq.m. David Dadiani opened a museum in the palace as early as the 1850s, where he placed unique numismatic artefacts and medieval European military equipment discovered during the archaeological excavations in the ancient city of Archeopolis (Nokalakevi) and the Dadiani collection of ethnographic and fine art items.

As of January 1, 2010, the museum housed 44,475 exhibits, including goldsmithing artefact from the 1st century BC to the 19th century AD (icons and other ecclesiastical items, works of fine art), archaeological material from the ancient Greece and old Colchis, a collection of Christian relics, examples of European arts (in Boulle, Rococo, Empire styles); relics of the rulers of Samegrelo, of France (particularly numerous are the items associated with Napoleon Bonaparte, which entered the palace collection through David Dadiani’s son-in-law – Achille Murat), Russia, Spain, members of imperial families. There are also manuscripts and royal charters from the 15th–19th centuries, weapons from Europe and Asia, paintings by Russian “Peredvizhniki,” French battle painters, and English “Marinists,” a rich photo archive (5,000 photos), crystal, porcelain and faience vessels of French, German, Chinese, Russian and other origins.

Partner organizations of the Dadiani Palaces Historical-Architectural Museum are the “Association of Museums of Georgia” and the “Fund for the Preservation of the Dadiani Palaces.”