 | This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. (September 2019) |
| Belvedere House and Gardens | |
|---|---|
 The exterior, and the Drawing Room | |
| Type | Country house |
| Location | Mullingar, County Westmeath, Ireland |
| Area | 160 acres (65 ha) |
| Built | 1740 |
| Architect | Richard Cassels |
| Architectural style(s) | Palladian |
| Owner |
|
Belvedere House and Gardens is a country house located approximately 8 kilometres (5 mi) from Mullingar, County Westmeath in Ireland on the north-east shore of Lough Ennell.[1] It was built in 1740 as a hunting lodge for Robert Rochfort, 1st Earl of Belvedere by architect Richard Cassels, one of Ireland's foremost Palladian architects.[2]
The house is known for its Diocletian windows and nineteenth-century terracing.[3] When Robert Rochfort decided to use Belvedere as his principal residence, he employed French stuccatore Barthelemij Cramillion, to execute the Rococo plasterwork ceilings. The landscaped demesne has the largest folly and spite wall in the country, The Jealous Wall, built to block off the view of his estranged brother's house nearby. There is also Victorian walled garden and several hectares of forest. The house has been fully restored and the grounds attract approximately 160,000 visitors annually.
- ^ "Belvedere House Gardens & Park". www.belvedere-house.ie. Retrieved 15 December 2020.
- ^ "From wicked to wonderful". The Irish Times. Retrieved 15 December 2020.
- ^ "Belvedere House, BELVIDERE, County Westmeath". Buildings of Ireland. Retrieved 15 December 2020.