Royal Palace Amsterdam: Eighth Wonder of the World

Main Hall, Royal Palace Amsterdam

Hiding behind the ugly scaffolding in Dam Square, is the Amsterdam Royal Palace. The palace is hiding while it undergoes a facelift to it’s 17th century facade. When the building opened in 1655 the poet and secretary to the Prince of Orange, Constantijn Huygens puffed it up as the Eighth Wonder of the World. Maybe not, but it is quite an impressive structure even while only the inside is visible. This palace was never built as a palace but as a town hall. In the 17th century the world revolved around Amsterdam, the centre of the world economy and so a new town hall had to be impressive. 

Bust of Louis Napoleon

The famous architect Jacob van Campen designed the building and the Flemish sculptor Artus Quellinus created reliefs and sculpture inspired by classical antiquity and the Italian Renaissance.  In the 17th century the building was a place where the burgomasters and alderman met and the magistrates dolled out the death sentence. It appears much too glittering for that.


Palace of the Rabbit Of Holland

The palace became a palace in 1806 when Louis Napoleon moved in during his brief spell as Rabbit of Holland. Louis Bonaparte was in fact made King of Holland by his brother Napoleon Bonaparte in 1806. However he promptly announced to the people that he was the "Konijn van 'Olland" ("Rabbit of 'Olland") rather than "Koning van Holland" ("King of Holland") because the Frenchman's Dutch pronunciation was a little off. Louis didn’t stay long but left behind all his plush Empire style furniture and art.

Main Hall, Royal Palace Amsterdam

Prince Willem of Orange took over the palace once Napoleon fell in 1813 and it has remained at the Dutch Royal families disposal since. Queen Beatrix uses it only occasionally because she lives and works in The Hague with us.


Little Piece of Australia 

Floor in the main hall of the Palace

In the main hall, the marble floors feature inlaid maps of the world or at least how the world appeared to the Dutch in the 17th century.  Hollandia Nova (New Holland) aka Australia features, or at least the west coast and the rest is a bit vague.