The Royal Palace in Dam Square. Author's tour.

The Royal Palace on Dam Square, built in the middle of the XVII century as the building of the city hall of powerful Amsterdam, was rightly called the “eighth wonder of the world”. This monumental building, created according to all the rules of classical art, over which a whole galaxy of outstanding architects, sculptors and artists of the XVII century worked, caused universal admiration and praise of contemporaries.

Historically, the Royal Palace represents the intersection of three time layers of Amsterdam’s history. In the XVII - XVIII centuries, when the Netherlands was a free republic, the city hall was located in the building. In the town hall, the mayors met with the city council, there was a court with a prison and there were numerous departments of city administration, including the Insurance Chamber, known far beyond Amsterdam. There were issued such cheap at that time insurance that merchants and sea traders from all over Europe came to the city hall of Amsterdam to conclude profitable policies.

At the beginning of the XIX century, when the country was captured by Napoleon’s army and turned into a monarchy, by order of the first king of Holland, Louis Bonaparte, the city hall received the status of a royal palace. For this new residence of Louis was ordered a unique collection of furniture Empire style, which is now in the Palace on the Dame.

The 3rd layer of history of this amazing building begins with the expulsion of the French, the return to the Netherlands of the dynasty of rulers of Orange-Nassau and the establishment of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The palace is now at the disposal of Her Majesty Queen Beatrix. Official receptions, holidays and balls are held here, and state awards are presented. In its free time from official events, the Royal Palace functions as a museum that can be visited and familiarized with the history of Amsterdam and the Netherlands.