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Royalty In The City On Water
he Royal Palace is almost were called in for the
certainly Amsterdam’s decorating. In the building’s
greatest teller of tales. public entrance hall, known as
Though it was once known as the Burgerzaal, the world was
“Eighth Wonder of the World”. It placed quite literally at one’s
is hard to imagine it when one feet. There are two maps inlaid
visits the Palace and views it in the marble floor which show
from outside. The gray-stained Amsterdam as the center of the
building with its aura of world, and the heavens painted
loneliness highlighted by the above also present the city as
fact that it is one of the city’s the center of the universe.
few freestanding buildings was
built between 1648 and 1665 as When King Louis Napoleon came to
the largest nonreligious building Amsterdam in 1808 he had the city
on the planet, and that it is hall turned into a royal palace.
still used by the royal family The large collection of Empire
for the highest of state style furniture, chandeliers and
occasions. It is quite difficult clocks dates from this period.
to grasp the fact that this The palace is still used for
palace was actually built as a official functions by her Majesty
mere city hall - although one for the Queen. In the summer the
a city drunk with cockiness for palace is open to the public.
having created in a mere 100
years the richest and busiest King Louis Napoleon turned the
harbor in the world. city hall into a royal palace.
The galleries were provided with
As the building was built, wooden partitioning to create
artists and sculptors with such additional rooms. A balcony was
immortal names as Ferdinand Bol, added to the facade to meet royal
Govert Flinck, and Jan Lievens public relations requirements.
Splendid Empire furniture - still cargo ship. The central dome
part of the collection of the afforded a fine view of the IJ
palace today - served to and the arrivals and departures
modernize the interior of the many ships. A notable
decoration. In the course of the aspect of the building is the
20th century much work was done lack of a conspicuous main
to the building. The entrance. Seven unadorned arches
modifications made by Louis at street level without any steps
Napoleon’s were reversed and the give access to the building,
palace was restored to its indicating that the town hall
original state of a government belonged to everybody.
building based on classical
models. Since the 1960 It can be said that the exterior
restoration the building has been of the building is austere and
open to the public, though on a restrained in character; the
limited scale. interior may well be called
amazing as well as dazzling.
The dome is of the Palace is Jacob van Campen’s town hall, now
crowned by a weather vane in the the royal palace, is place which
shape of the oldest version of should not be missed by any
the Amsterdam coat of arms, the tourist.
About the Author:
Rahul viz recommends that you visit http://www.bookings.nl/city/nl/amsterdam.html?aid=305255 for more information on Royalty in the City on Water.
Read more articles by: Rahul Viz
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