It was built in the 18th century based on the design of Bartolomeo Rastrelli as a residence for the Dukes of Courland in their capital of Mitau (today's Jelgava, in the Semigallia region of Latvia).

The site had borne the residence of the former Courland dukes of the Kettler dynasty and, before that, a medieval castle belonging to the Livonian Order.

[1] Following Ernst Johann von Biron's fall from grace in 1740, all construction work was stopped, even though the roof of the palace had not yet been completed.

Besides Rastrelli (who, with the death of his patroness, the Empress Elizabeth, lost business in Saint Petersburg), Danish architect Severin Jensen participated in the project,[2] giving the palace a touch of classicism.

For a short time in 1812, after Napoleon's invasion of Russia, the palace housed a government of the restored Duchy of Courland and Semigallia, led by Count von Medem.

[citation needed] Critics note the dull facade design lacking rhythmic diversity and plastic richness which characterized Rastrelli's works in Empress Elizabeth's period.

Also, atypically for Rastrelli, the palace did not feature a garden; nor was the parade yard originally closed, instead facing the urban panorama of Jelgava.

[citation needed] Originally, the palace consisted of two wings connected to the main building forming a U-shape.