The imperial grandeur of Peter the Great's St. Petersburg is a fascinating demonstration of wealth, power, and ambition. The monumental classicism and bold urban gestures of the architecture and monuments of the city are powerful. The great legacy of the Russian Empire and the ambitions of one man come together in a city of juxtapositions. His palace echoes the grandeur of Versailles in Baroque gilded splendor. The gardens and fountains of the park are quite sublime. The use of terracing and the perspective of the main canal to the mouth of the Baltic draw beautifully from the Italian and French tradition.
