Belgium The city of Bruges: The
Gruuthusemuseum is a museum of applied arts in
Bruges, located in the late medieval Gruuthuse, the Palace of
Louis de Gruuthuse. The collection ranges from the 15th to the 19th century. Presumably in the 13th century, a rich family from Bruges received the
monopoly to levy taxes on
gruit, and built storage for it. The building was changed in the early fifteenth century by
Jan IV van der Aa to a luxury house for his family, which subsequently changed its name to "Van Gruuthuse" ("From the Gruit house"). His son Louis de Gruuthuse added a second wing to the house, and in 1472 a "chapel". This is in a bridge which connects the house to the adjacent
Church of Our Lady, Bruges, so that members of the household could see the high altar from wide windows in the room. However the building was very heavily restored in the 19th century.
The city of Mechelen houses several palaces: "Hof van Kamerijk" or "Palace of
Margaret of York", 15th-century building. Also called "Keizershof" (English; literally "Emperor's Court") because several royal children resided here and received education at this court, including
Charles V (Holy Roman Emperor and Archduke of Austria, King of Spain and Duke of Burgundy) "
Hof van Savoye" or "Palace of
Margaret of Austria", early 16th-century building and one of the first
Renaissance buildings in northern Europe. The "
Hof van Busleyden", early 16th-century Renaissance palace of
Hieronymus van Busleyden; The "Archbishop 's palace", 18th-century building and the official seat of the
Archbishop of
the Roman Catholic province Belgium; The "Hof van Palermo", 15th-century palace of
Jan I Carondelet; The "Hof van Hoogstraten", 16th-century palace of
Antoon I van Lalaing; The "Hof van Nassau", 15th-century building which served as temporary court of
Margaret of York when she arrived in Mechelen after her marriage with
Charles the Bold; The "Hof van Cortenbach", 16th-century building; The "Hof van Coloma", 18th-century palace of Jean Ernest Coloma, Baron of St-Pieters Leeuw and member of the
Coloma family The city of Brussels has also several remaining and notable palaces: "
The Royal Palace of Brussels", the official palace of the King and Queen of the Belgians,
The Egmont palace, The Palace of
Prince Charles Alexander Emanuel of Lorraine and Hotel Errera. The
Palace of Coudenberg, the main Renaissance palace and seat of government power, burnt down completely in 1731.
France of
Paris, France In France there has been a clear distinction between a
château and a
palais. The palace has always been urban, like the
Palais de la Cité in
Paris, which was the royal palace of France and is now the supreme court of justice of France, or the palace of the
Popes at
Avignon. The château, by contrast, has always been in rural settings, supported by its
demesne, even when it was no longer actually fortified. Speakers of English think of the "
Palace of Versailles" because it was the residence of the king of France, and the king was the source of power, though the building has always remained the
Château de Versailles for the French, and the seat of government under the
Ancien Régime remained the
Palais du
Louvre. The Louvre had begun as a fortified
Château du Louvre on the edge of Paris, but as the seat of government and shorn of its fortified architecture and then completely surrounded by the city, it developed into the
Palais du Louvre. The
hôtel particulier remains the term for an urban residence sited
entre cour et jardin, behind a forecourt and opening onto a garden; when fronting directly on streets, they are
maisons, "houses". Bishops always had a
palais in the town of their diocese, an
hôtel in other towns, though they might possess
chateaux. The usage is essentially the same in Italy, Spain and Portugal, as well as the former
Austrian Empire. In
Vienna, Austria, all large mansions belonging to aristocratic or very wealthy families were traditionally called
palais, but this never applied to imperial palaces themselves which were called
Burg within the city and
Schloss when outside it. In Germany, the wider term was a relatively recent importation and was used rather more restrictively.
Germany in
Berlin, Germany in
Berlin, Germany The German term for "palace" is
Palast, which is used especially for large palatial complexes and gardens. Large country houses are typically called
schloss (
chateaux or
castle in English). Germany offers a variety of more than 25,000 castles and palaces and thousands of
manor houses. The country is known for its
fairy tale-like scenery palatial buildings, such as
Sanssouci,
Linderhof Palace,
Herrenchiemsee,
Schwetzingen,
Nordkirchen and
Schwerin Palace. Many of these buildings have a history of over 1000 years, ranging from fortifications to royal residences. Many German castles after the
Middle Ages were mainly built as royal or ducal palaces rather than as a fortified building.
Hungary , Hungary In
Hungary distinction is made between urban and rural residencies. Only the urban residencies of the higher aristocracy were called
palota (palace); rural stately homes were named
kastély (mansion), or in case of smaller country houses,
kúria. Noble landowner families, like the
House of Esterházy, often had several mansions in the countryside and palaces in towns. The office of the
president of the Republic of Hungary,
Sándor Palace, was the residence of the Sándor family in the 19th century. Royal residencies were also called palaces, for example, the Early Renaissance summer palace of King
Matthias Corvinus in
Visegrád or
Buda Castle which was called
Királyi-palota (Royal Palace). In the second half of the 19th century, splendid new townhouses of the bourgeoisie on
Andrássy út and elsewhere in
Budapest were named palaces. A typical example is the Art Nouveau
Gresham Palace, which was built by an insurance company. Grand public buildings and even blocks of flats of higher standard were regularly called palaces (the contemporary term of the latter were
bérpalota meaning rent palace). For contemporary buildings the term is seldom used with the notable exemption of the
Palace of Arts.
Ireland In Ireland, the term "palace" () is rarely used. The main royal residence in Ireland,
Dublin Castle, was never called a palace, nor is
Hillsborough Castle, the main royal residence of Northern Ireland. The word "palace" is largely restricted to large official dwellings for Church of Ireland bishops: •
Bishop's Palace at Achadh Úr (modern
Freshford), home of the medieval Bishop of Freshford • Braganza,
Carlow, home of the
Bishops of Kildare and Leighlin • Archbishop's Palace,
Cashel, County Tipperary, home of the
Archbishop of Cashel and Emly; built in 1732, now the
Cashel Palace Hotel. • Bishop's Palace,
Cork, home of the
Bishop of Cork, Cloyne and Ross • The Palace,
Cobh, former home of the
Bishop of Cloyne • Bishop's Palace at Elphin, former home of the
Bishop of Elphin • Bishop's Palace,
Ennis, also called Westbourne, home of the
Bishop of Killaloe. • Bishop's Palace of Kilkenny, a summer house for the
Bishops of Ossory, built by
Richard Pococke • Bishop's Palace,
Killarney, former home of the
Bishop of Ardfert and Aghadoe • Bishop's Palace,
Kilmore, County Cavan, also called the "See House", home of the
Bishop of Kilmore. • Bishop's Palace,
Limerick, former home of the
Bishop of Limerick Saint Jarlath's, built , later served as archbishop's palace. •
Bishop's Palace Waterford, formerly home of the
Bishop of Waterford and Lismore •
Archbishop's Palace, Armagh, formerly home of
Archbishop of Armagh There are also some Catholic bishops' palaces: • Bishop's Palace,
Ballina, County Mayo, home of the Catholic
Bishop of Killala. • Bishop's Palace, Cork, on Redemption Road, home of the
Roman Catholic Bishop of Cork and Ross. • Archbishop's Palace,
Drumcondra, home of the
Roman Catholic Archbishop of Dublin. It is today referred to as simply the Archbishop's House. • Bishop's Palace,
Longford, home of the
Bishop of Ardagh and Clonmacnoise. • Roman Catholic Bishop's Palace,
Mullingar, dwelling of the
Roman Catholic Bishop of Meath • Roman Catholic Bishop's Palace,
Raphoe • Archbishop's Palace,
Thurles, dwelling of the Catholic
Archbishop of Cashel and Emly.
Italy is the largest former royal residence in the world. ,
Venice. The palace included government offices, a jail, and the residence of the
Doge of Venice, the elected authority of the former
Republic of Venice In Italy, any urban building built as a grand residence is a
palazzo; these are often no larger than a Victorian
townhouse. Being a
nobleman was not necessary for one's house to be considered a
palazzo, as the hundreds of
palazzi in
Venice nearly all belonged to the
patrician class of the city. In the
Middle Ages these also functioned as
warehouses and places of business, as well as homes. Each family's
palazzo was a hive that contained all the family members, though it might not always show a grand architectural public front. In the 20th century,
palazzo in Italian came to apply by extension to any large fine apartment building, as many old
palazzi were converted to this use. Bishops' townhouses were always
palazzi, and the seat of a localized regime would also be so called. Many former capitals display a
Ducal Palace, the seat of the local duke or lord. In
Florence (just as for other strong
communal governments), the seat of government was known as Palazzo della Signoria. When the Medici were made Grand Dukes of Tuscany, however, the centre of power shifted to their new residence in
Palazzo Pitti, and the old centre of power began to be referred to as the
Palazzo Vecchio. Shops on the ground floor and flats at the top of a modern
palazzo are not at all incongruous: historically, the ground floors of even a great family's
palazzo could be trade and domestic offices often open to servants, tradesmen, customers and the public, while the smartest and most prestigious floor (known as the
piano nobile) was kept for the family along with the upper floors and apartments, all of which were considered cleaner and safer than those on the ground floor. There were (and are) often separate, sometimes external, stairs to the humblest attic rooms and roofs used by the staff. The most important royal
palazzi in Italy are those in
Caserta,
Milan,
Naples,
Palermo,
Turin, as well as the
Quirinale Palace in
Rome.
Malta in
Valletta Until the sixteenth century,
Malta was part of the
Kingdom of Sicily, and the capital
Mdina housed many palaces for the nobility, such as
Palazzo Falson and
Palazzo Santa Sofia. After the
arrival of the Order of Saint John in 1530, the knights settled in
Birgu, where part of
Fort St Angelo was used as a palace for the
Grand Master. The knights themselves lived in
auberges, but these were more large houses rather than palaces. When the Order began to build a new capital
Valletta in 1566, a new
Grandmaster's Palace and a series of
new auberges were built. The auberges in Valletta are much larger than their counterparts in Birgu, and can be considered as palaces. The most important auberge still standing is
Auberge de Castille, which currently houses the Office of the Prime Minister of Malta. Over the years, the Grand Masters also built a number of large residences in the countryside, such as
Verdala Palace and
San Anton Palace. Both of these now serve as official residences of the
president of Malta. The
Archbishop of Malta has a palace in Mdina. The inquisitor also had a
palace in Birgu and
another in Girgenti until the abolition of the inquisition in 1798. The nobility, upper classes and individual knights of the Order built a number of private palaces, especially in Valletta, but also in the countryside. There are other palaces built by the nobility, such as, most notably
Palazzo Parisio in Valletta and
Palazzo Dragonara in St Julians.
Netherlands in
Amsterdam, Netherlands refers to a painted ballroom in the royal palace
Huis ten Bosch in The Hague. The Netherlands hosts several royal palaces that reflect its constitutional monarchy and a long-standing tradition of understated elegance. Dutch palaces tend to combine historical significance with functional design, often serving both ceremonial and administrative roles. One of the most prominent is the
Royal Palace of Amsterdam (Paleis op de Dam), located in the heart of the capital. Originally built in the 17th century as the city hall of Amsterdam during the
Dutch Golden Age, it was later converted into a royal palace by King Louis Bonaparte, Napoleon’s brother, in 1808. Today, it serves as one of the three official palaces of the Dutch royal family and is used for state visits, award ceremonies, and royal events. Its Classical architecture and richly decorated interiors reflect the power and wealth of Amsterdam in its mercantile heyday. In The Hague, the monarch's official workplace is
Noordeinde Palace, a 16th-century building expanded over time to accommodate its current administrative role. Nearby lies
Huis ten Bosch Palace, the current residence of
King Willem-Alexander and his family. Built in 1645 for Prince Frederick Henry, the palace is renowned for the
Oranjezaal, a grand hall decorated with allegorical paintings in honor of the prince. Another important historical palace is
Het Loo Palace, located in Apeldoorn. Constructed in the late 17th century for Stadtholder William III and Queen Mary II of England, the palace served as a royal summer residence for centuries. Now a national museum, it offers insights into the lifestyle and heritage of the
House of Orange-Nassau, complete with restored Baroque gardens and staterooms.
Soestdijk Palace, once the residence of Queen Juliana and Prince Bernhard, and
Drakensteyn Castle, a private estate formerly inhabited by Princess Beatrix, are also notable royal properties. Some examples of dutch palaces are
Binnenhof,
Breda Castle,
Duin en Kruidberg,
Het Loo Palace,
Het Oude Loo,
Huis ten Bosch,
Peace Palace,
Villa Welgelegen,
Royal Palace of Amsterdam,
Noordeinde Palace and
Soestdijk Palace.
Poland in
Warsaw, Poland The former Kingdom of Poland, known as the
Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, once spanned over , which allowed the nobles to construct their residences anywhere from modern-day Poland to as far as southern
Estonia. The
Polish aristocracy (szlachta) greatly favoured
Baroque and
Rococo architecture of the period. Most notable architect specializing in those styles was
Dutch-born
Tylman van Gameren (also Tylman Gamerski), who designed several renowned palaces, for both
kings and nobles, throughout the Commonwealth. Tylman also left behind a lifelong legacy of buildings that are regarded as gems of
Polish Baroque architecture. His most famous works include
Krasiński Palace and
Łazienki Palace, both in
Warsaw, and
Branicki Palace in
Białystok. Other palatial architects in Poland at the time were
Chrystian Piotr Aigner,
Szymon Bogumił Zug,
Domenico Merlini and
Johann Christian Schuch. At present, Poland possesses hundreds of varied-style palaces and residences designed by architects from all over the world. Some best examples are
Wilanów Palace,
Presidential Palace,
Oliwa Abbot's Palace,
Copper-Roof Palace,
Palace of the Ministry of Revenues and Treasury,
Rogalin,
Jabłonowski Palace,
Zamoyski Palace in Kozłówka,
Lanckoroński Palace in Kurozwęki,
Nieborów Palace and the
Palace in Otwock Wielki. There are also several palaces resembling castles or medieval Gothic residences, most notably
Moszna Castle,
Książ Castle and the
Warsaw Royal Castle.
Portugal in
Sintra, Portugal is the oldest palace inspired by European Romanticism. Due to its relatively small geography, most of
Portugal's palaces are former royal residences. Some examples of Portuguese palaces are
Mafra National Palace,
Pena National Palace,
Belém Palace,
Ajuda National Palace,
Palácio das Necessidades,
Mateus Palace,
Palace Hotel of Bussaco,
Palácio da Regaleira, and
Palácio da Brejoeira.
Romania in
Bucharest, Romania Palaces in
Romania, as elsewhere in Europe, were originally built for royalty, nobles and bishops. Three former royal palaces in Romania are the
Cotroceni Palace (now the presidential residence); the
Royal Palace in Bucharest, which now houses the
National Museum of Art of Romania; and the
Elisabeta Palace. Although Romania is no longer a constitutional monarchy, the current head of the former Romanian royal family,
Princess Margareta of Romania, continues to reside at
Elisabeta Palace in Bucharest. Other palaces include the
Crețulescu Palace in Bucharest, built for the Crețulescu family, and
Peles palace, built by King
Carol I of Romania as a royal residence. looks royal, but was never the seat of royalty The
Palace of the Parliament (Casa Poporului) from
Bucharest and the
Palace of Culture in
Iași (Palatul Culturii) are large government buildings, both purpose-built solely for government and public use.
Russia The first palaces in Russia were built about a thousand years ago for the Grand Dukes of Kiev. These are not preserved, having been destroyed. Classical palaces were built during the reign of Tsar
Peter the Great and his immediate successors. Russian palaces are generally categorized into Imperial Palaces and Grand Ducal Palaces. The former served as heavily guarded state residences housing ministerial offices, throne rooms, and official reception halls, while the latter functioned as private estates focused on social life, such as balls and salons, without the constraints of rigid state protocol. Examples of Russian Imperial palaces include: • the
Winter Palace (1732–1917) in
Saint Petersburg, was the official residence of the Russian monarchs • the
Grand Kremlin Palace (1837–1849) of the
Moscow Kremlin in
Moscow • the
Peterhof Palace (1709–1755) in
Petergof • the
Catherine Palace (1857–1862) in
Tsarskoye Selo • the
Gatchina Palace (1766–1781) in
Gatchina • the
Alexander Palace (1792) in
Tsarskoye Selo • the
Tsaritsyno Palace (1775) in
Moscow • the
Livadia Palace (1911) in
Crimea Examples of Russian Grand Ducal palaces include: • the
Mariinsky Palace of
Maria Nikolaevna • the
Vladimir Palace of
Vladimir Alexandrovich • the
Constantine Palace of
Konstantin Pavlovich • the
Mikhailovsky Palace of
Michael Pavlovich • the
Marble Palace of
Grigory Orlov • the
Oranienbaum of
Alexander Menshikov • the
New Michael Palace of
Michael Nikolaevich • the
Tauride Palace of
Grigory Potemkin File:Grand Cascade in Peterhof 01.jpg|The
Peterhof Palace File:Catherine Palace in Tsarskoe Selo 02.jpg|The
Catherine Palace File:Мост у Константиновского дворца.jpg|The
Constantine Palace Scandinavia The three Scandinavian countries of
Denmark,
Norway and
Sweden all have long monarchic histories and possess several palaces. In Denmark
Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen was built as a royal palace, but is now only used for royal receptions;
Amalienborg Palace has been the Danish royal residence since 1794. In Norway the
Royal Palace in Oslo has been used as the royal residence since 1849. In Sweden the large
Stockholm Palace was built in 1760, and remains the official royal residence, but at the current time is only used for official purposes while the Swedish royal family resides in the more modest
Drottningholm Palace.
Serbia The two dynasties of post-Ottoman Serbia,
Karađorđević and
Obrenović, built numerous royal residences throughout the country. The most prominent are to be found in the capital,
Belgrade: the
Stari Dvor and
Novi Dvor (Old Palace and New Palace, respectively) in the downtown, and the
Dedinje Royal Compound which includes the
Kraljevski Dvor the
Beli Dvor (Royal Palace and White Palace, respectively) in the suburb of
Dedinje.
Spain With over a thousand years of monarchic history, Spain has many palaces of its own that were built for different monarchs or nobles. Among these palaces is the
Royal Palace of Madrid, also referred to as the Palacio Real. The palace is the largest palace in Europe with over 2,800 rooms but at the current time is of use for only governmental business while the royal family resides in the smaller Palacio de la Zarzuela. In addition to the Royal Palace of Madrid,
Alcázar of Seville (which mixes, with the delicate Moorish filigree, European Christian architectural styles), the
Alhambra, the
Monastery of San Lorenzo de El Escorial and the
Royal Palace of Aranjuez, fine baroque palace is surrounded by gardens. Currently, the royal family and prime minister live in the more modest
Palace of Zarzuela and
Palace of Moncloa, respectively.
United Kingdom Although many
English country houses can be called "palatial" in size and the richness of their contents, in the United Kingdom, by tacit agreement, the word "palace" is reserved for official residences (present or former) of the
royal family or
bishops, regardless of whether located in town or country. However, not all palaces use the term in their name – see
Windsor Castle. Thus the
Palace of Beaulieu gained its name precisely when
Thomas Boleyn sold it to
Henry VIII in 1517. Previously, it had been known as Walkfares, but like several other palaces including
Hampton Court Palace, the name stuck even once the royal connection ended.
Blenheim Palace was built, on a different site, in the grounds of the disused royal
Palace of Woodstock, and the name was also part of the extraordinary honour when the house was given by a grateful nation to a great general, the
Duke of Marlborough. Along with several royal and
episcopal palaces in the countryside, Blenheim does demonstrate that "palace" has no specific urban connotation in English. On the use of the term "palace" in the UK,
Buckingham Palace was known as Buckingham House before it was acquired by the monarchy.
Blenheim Palace (in England) and
Hamilton Palace (in Scotland,
demolished in 1927) are the only non-royal and non-
episcopal residences to have the word "palace" in their name, other than
Dalkeith Palace in Scotland, which used to be the seat of the
Dukes of Buccleuch (who descend from
Charles II of England).
Other In
continental Europe royal and episcopal palaces were not merely residences; the clerks who administered the realm or the diocese laboured there as well. (To this day many bishops' palaces house both their family apartments and their official offices.) However, unlike the "Palais du Justice" which is often encountered in the French-speaking world, modern British public administration buildings are never called "palaces"; although the formal name for the "Houses of
Parliament" is the
Palace of Westminster, this reflects Westminster's former role as a royal residence and centre of administration. In more recent years, the word has been used in a more informal sense for other large, impressive buildings, such as
The Crystal Palace of 1851 (an immensely large, glazed hall erected for
The Great Exhibition) and modern arenas-convention centers like
Alexandra Palace. The largest in the world is the
Palace of the Parliament in
Bucharest, Romania. Built during the socialist regime, no effort or expense was spared to raise this colossal neo-classic building. == See also ==