Russborough House, Stately home and art museum in County Wicklow, Ireland
Russborough House is a Georgian manor and art museum in County Wicklow with a broad limestone facade and symmetrical wings. The rooms feature decorated stucco ceilings, polished wooden floors, and paintings by European masters in gilded frames.
A German-born architect designed the estate in the mid-1700s for an Irish nobleman who collected artworks during travels through Italy and France. Later owners added further collections before a foundation opened the building to the public.
The house takes its name from the Irish term for a red fort that once stood on these lands. Visitors walk through rooms where ceiling plasterwork shows scenes from classical mythology and walls display paintings accumulated by aristocratic collectors.
Guided tours last about an hour and show the main rooms and artworks inside. The grounds offer walking paths through woodland and open meadows with views toward nearby lakes and mountains.
Thieves broke into the house on several occasions and took famous paintings, including works by Vermeer and Goya. International investigations led to the return of most stolen pieces over many years.
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