Apalace is a large residence, often serving as a royal residence or the home for ahead of state or another high-ranking dignitary, such as abishop orarchbishop.[1] The word is derived from theLatin name palātium, forPalatine Hill in Rome which housed theImperial residences.[1]
Most European languages have a version of the term (palats,palais,palazzo,palacio, etc.) and many use it to describe a broader range of buildings than English. In many parts of Europe, the equivalent term is also applied to large private houses in cities, especially of thearistocracy. It is also used for some large official buildings that have never had a residential function; for example in French-speaking countriesPalais de Justice is the usual name of important courthouses. Many historic palaces such as parliaments, museums, hotels, or office buildings are now put to other uses. The word is also sometimes used to describe an elaborate building used for public entertainment or exhibitions[1] such as amovie palace.
A palace is typically distinguished from acastle in that the latter isfortified or has the style of a fortification, whereas a palace does not.
The wordpalace comes fromOld Frenchpalais (imperial residence), fromLatinPalātium, the name of one of theseven hills of Rome.[1] The original "palaces" on the Palatine Hill were the seat of the imperial power. At the same time, the "capitol" on theCapitoline Hill was the religious nucleus of Rome. Long after the city grew to the seven hills, the Palatine remained a desirableresidential area. Roman emperor CaesarAugustus lived there in a purposely modest house only set apart from his neighbours by the two laurel trees planted to flank the front door as a sign oftriumph granted by theSenate. His descendants, especiallyNero with his "Domus Aurea" (the Golden House), enlarged the building and its grounds over and over until it took up the hilltop. The wordPalātium came to mean the residence of the emperor rather than theneighbourhood on top of the hill.[citation needed]
In modern times, archaeologists and historians have applied the term to large structures that housed combined rulers, courts, and bureaucracy in "palace cultures". In informal usage, the term "palace" can be extended to a grand residence.[citation needed]
The best examples of the Bronze Age Greece palace are seen in the excavations atMycenae,Tiryns andPylos.[according to whom?] The fact that these were administrative centers is shown by the records found there. They were ranged around a group of courtyards, each opening upon several rooms of different dimensions, such as storerooms and workshops, as well as reception halls and living quarters, each opening upon several rooms of different dimensions, such as storerooms, workshops, and reception halls. The heart of the palace was themegaron. This was the throne room, laid around a circular hearth surrounded by four columns, the throne generally found on the right-hand side upon entering the room. The staircases in the palace ofPylos indicate palaces had two stories. Located on the top floor were the private quarters of the royal family and some storerooms. These palaces have yielded a wealth of artifacts and fragmentary frescoes.[citation needed]
ThePalace of Domitian in Rome is the overall name given to the complex of palaces that were the primary residence in Rome of the Roman emperors from the late 1st century to the 5th. Some sculptures and decorative elements have been excavated. TheDomus Aurea was a different palace, begun byNero, where excavations from the Renaissance onwards have discovered remarkably well-preserved paintings in levels now below ground.[citation needed]
Diocletian's Palace inSplit, Croatia was ready for occupation in 305 AD and is much the most significant ancient survival, having been turned in theMiddle Ages into a fortified town; it still houses many people and businesses.[citation needed]
Palaces in East Asia, such as the imperial palaces of Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Thailand, and Indonesia, and large wooden structures in China'sForbidden City, consist of many low pavilions surrounded by vast, walled gardens in contrast to the single building palaces ofMedieval Western Europe.[3] Palaces were also built bypost-classical African kingdoms such as theAshanti Empire.[6] Before its destruction during theThird Anglo-Ashanti War, theAshanti royal palace atKumasi, Ghana was described by English explorersThomas Edward Bowdich andWinwood Reade as "an immense building of a variety of oblong courts and regular squares."[7]
European palaces belonging to rulers were often large and grand, however, very few have survived to represent anything like their original medieval condition; many having been abandoned, burned down, demolished, or rebuilt.[citation needed] ThePalais des Papes inAvignon, France, is probably the best prominent example,[according to whom?] essentially a creation of 1252 to 1379, and little has changed since 1433,[citation needed] which marked the end of theAvignon Papacy and subsequent schisms.
InCanada,Government House is a title given to the official residences of theCanadian monarchy and variousviceroys (thegovernors general and thelieutenant governors). Though not universal, in most cases, the title is also the building's sole name; for example, the sovereign's and governor general's principal residence in Ottawa is known as Government House only in formal contexts, being more generally referred to asRideau Hall. Government House is an inherited custom from the British Empire, where there were and are many government houses.
Rideau Hall is, since 1867, the official residence inOttawa of both the Canadian monarch and his or her representative, the governor general of Canada, and has been described as "Canada's house". It stands in Canada's capital on a 36-hectare (89-acre) estate at 1Sussex Drive, with the main building consisting of approximately 175 rooms across 9,500 m2 (102,000 sq ft), and 27 outbuildings around the grounds. While the equivalent structure in many countries has a prominent, central place in the national capital, Rideau Hall's site is relatively unobtrusive within Ottawa, giving it more of the character of a private home.
Along with Rideau Hall, theCitadelle of Quebec, also known as La Citadelle, is an active military installation and official residence of the Canadian monarch and the governor general. It is located atopCap Diamant, adjoining thePlains of Abraham inQuebec City,Quebec. The citadel is the oldest military building in Canada and forms part of the fortifications of Quebec City, which is one of only two cities in North America still surrounded by fortifications. The fortress is located within the historic district ofOld Québec, designated a World Heritage Site in 1985.
The capital ofMexico,Mexico City, is traditionally nicknamed the "City of Palaces"; a nickname usually attributed toAlexander von Humboldt after he visited the city in the late 18th century and early 19th century, but initially coined by Charles Latrobe, an English traveler who visited Mexico City in 1834 and "got the feeling of living a dream[8]".
In Central Mexico, theAztec emperors built many palaces in the capital of their empire,Tenochtitlan (modern-day Mexico City), some of which may still be seen. On observing the great cityHernán Cortés wrote, "There are, in all districts of this great city, many temples or palaces... They are all magnificent buildings. Amongst these temples is one, the principal one, whose great size and magnificence no human tongue could describe,... All around this wall are exquisite quarters with huge rooms and corridors. There are as many as forty towers, all of which are so high that in the case of the largest, there are fifty steps leading up to the main part of it, and the most important of these towers is higher than that of the cathedral of Seville..."[9]
In theYucatan, a well-preservedMayan palace with a unique four-storey observation tower stands at thePalenque site, from wherePakal reigned over the city-state.
TheNational Palace, orPalacio Nacional, located in Mexico City's main square, thePlaza de la Constitución (El Zócalo), first built in 1563, is in the heart of the Mexican capital. In 1821, the palace was given its current name, and the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of government were housed in the palace; the latter two branches would eventually reside elsewhere. During theSecond Mexican Empire, its name was changed, for a time, to the Imperial Palace. The National Palace continues to be the official seat of the executive authority, though it is no longer the president's official residence.
There are many private buildings ormansions in the United States, which, though not called "palaces", have the grandeur typical of a palace, and have been used as residences.Hearst Castle and theBiltmore Estate are examples.
Located in Addis Ababa, theMenelik Palace is a palatial compound that is currently serving as the residence of theprime minister of Ethiopia. The compound, while containing palaces and residences also contains a few churches, tombs and monasteries. Previously, it served as the seat of theemperors of Ethiopia. After a 2018 renovation, the compound opened to the public in 2019 as a part ofUnity Park.
ThePalace of the Olowo,ruler of theYorubaOwo clan ofNigeria, is acknowledged to be the largest palace in all of Africa. It consists of more than 100 courtyards, each with a unique traditional usage.
In theKano State of Nigeria, theGidan Rumfa acts as the seat of theEmir of Kano since the late 15th century when it was constructed.
InBenin City, the capital of theEdo State, lies the currentRoyal Palace of the Oba of Benin. It currently houses theOba of Benin, who is the traditional ruler of the Edo people, alongside some other royals. The current palace is a reconstruction byEweka II after the original was destroyed in 1897 by the British.
Rwanda is host to three palaces, although one of them is currently repurposed. InNyanza, the former royal capital of the Kingdom of Rwanda, are two existing palaces. The first, the traditional King's Palace, is constructed in the vernacular style and housed thetraditional ruler of Rwanda, the Mwami. A second palace for the king exists in Nyanza, although it is constructed in the Art Deco style as opposed to the local construction style. A third palace, the Rwesero Palace, was originally constructed forMutara III, but he died before its completion, and the building was converted into theRwesero Art Museum.
Afghanistan's capitalKabul is well known for its sheer number of palaces.[11] Many had been built in the 19th century but perhaps the most famous is theDarul Aman Palace. Many palaces were damaged by the civil war, including Darul Aman, but others have survived or have been rebuilt.
Armenia has many palaces from its various historical periods. TheErebuni fortress inYerevan has a grand royal palace constructed in 782 B.C. byKing Argisthi. The palace at Erebuni is one of the earliest examples of anUrartian palace.[12][13]
After the fall of the Arsacids, Armenia was ruled by a succession of aristocratic families who held the titleNakharar. One of these Nakharar princes,Grigor Mamikonian, built a palace in the citadel ofAruch near theAruchavank cathedral; some walls of this palace and a unique Armenian throne made oftufa still survive today.[17]
The medieval capital of theBagratid kingdom of Armenia,Ani, also hosted many palaces. The first palace of Ani, constructed by the princely ArmenianKamsarakan dynasty in the seventh century, served as the most important structure of the city. Located in the main citadel, the Kamsarakan palace was used by the successiveBagratid kingdom as their headquarters.[18][19] In addition, Ani hosted several other palaces such as the Merchant's(Tigran Honents) Palace, one of the best surviving examples of secularArmenian architecture of that time,[20] the Seljuk palace, and theManuchir Mosque, which is said by some historians to have been a residence of Bagratid kings before being converted to a mosque.[21]
During the various periods ofOttoman andIranian occupation following theTimurid Empire, Armenia was governed by several local principalities known asMelikdoms. Each Melik had their own princely palace. The most notable of which is the Palace of theDizak Melikdom constructed by Melik Yeganyan inTogh (1737). Other notable melik palaces are the Melik Ahnazar palace inKhnatsakh (16th century), theMelik Haykaz Palace inMelikashen (15th century), the Melik Kasu palace, the palace of the Melik-Barkhudaryans inTegh (1783) andHalidzor Fortress (17th century), which served as a palace for the Melik Parsadanian family.[24][25]
Azerbaijan has a number of palaces which belong to different ages. For example, there are palaces from theBC era and from the 12th century, like the "Goyalp" Palace ofEldiguzids EmpireAtabeg[clarification needed]— located in Nakhchivan city and built in the 1130s.
Baku Khans' Palace is a complex of several houses that belonged to members of ruling family of theBaku Khanate in the 17th century. The palace complex was in ruins but has now been reconstructed as of 2018. Official Administration of State Historical-Architectural ReserveIcheri Sheher has opened the complex as a palace-museum.[26]
ThePalace of Happiness (Azerbaijani: Səadət Sarayı), currently also called Palace of Marriage Registrations and previously called Mukhtarov Palace, is a historic building in the center of Baku, Azerbaijan, built in Neo-Gothic style in the early 19th century.
Shahbulag Castle Palace (Azerbaijani: Şahbulaq qalası "Spring of the Shah") is an 18th-century fortress nearAghdam. After the death of Turkic rulerNadir Shah, the territory that is todayAzerbaijan split into several Caucasian khanates, one of which was theKarabakh Khanate founded byPanah Ali Khan. The first capital of the khanate was theBayat Castle, built in 1748
Haji Gayib's Palace is an ancient fortress construction near a coastal side ofIcheri Sheher. It is located in the Baku quarter ofIcheri Sheher, opposite theMaiden Tower. The history of the palace dates back to the 15th century. The Intake portal of the bathhouse is rectangular shaped
ThePalace of Shaki Khans (Azerbaijani: Şəki xanlarının sarayı) inShaki, Azerbaijan, was a summer residence of Shaki Khans. It was built in 1797 by Muhammed Hasan Khan. Along with its pool and plane trees, the summer residence is the only remaining structure from the larger palatial complex inside the Sheki Khans' Fortress, which once included a winter palace, residences for the khan's family and servants' quarters. It features decorative tiles, fountains and severalstained-glass windows. The exterior was decorated with dark blue, turquoise and ochre tiles in geometric patterns and the murals were coloured withtempera and were inspired by the works ofNizami Ganjavi.
These are located in various regions and capital of Azerbaijan – the palace of government:
Chinese palaces are designed in regular square grids and arranged in a formal layout consisting of main buildings and a number ofpavilions enclosed within walls. Unlike massive single-structured European palaces or castles, Chinese palaces are a multitude of complexes containing several larger and smaller structures with parks and courtyards.
India is home to many palaces and vast empires. Its history is full of numerous dynasties that have ruled over various parts of the country. While most monuments of the ancient period have been destroyed or lie in ruins, some medieval buildings have been maintained or restored to good condition. Several medieval forts and palaces still stand all over India. These are examples of the achievements of the architects and engineers of that age. The palaces of India offer an insight into the life of the royalty of the country. While some royal palaces have been maintained as museums or hotels over the last decades, some are still homes for the members of the erstwhile royal families. These forts and palaces are the largest illustrations and legacy of the princely states of India. They feature floats of flowers in grand fountains, shimmering blue water of magnificent baths and private pools, doric pillars, ornamental brackets, decorative staircases, and light streaming in through large windows. India possesses some of the most fascinating forts and palaces, a true royal retreat. It is not just a romantic longing for a royal experience, but also the search for the truly authentic Indian experience that brings thousands of heritage lovers to India's palaces.
Rajasthan has many forts and palaces that are major tourist destinations in North India. (SeeList of palaces in Rajasthan.) The Rajputs (collective term for the rulers of the region) were known as brave soldiers who preferred to die than be taken prisoners. They were also great connoisseurs of art and brilliant builders. The most famous forts and palaces in Rajasthan are located in Chittor, Jodhpur, Jaipur, Udaipur, Saphieree, Amber and Nahargarh.Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces manages some of the most iconic palaces of the region,Lake Palace, Udaipur;Umaid Bhawan Palace, Jodhpur;Fort Madhogarh, Jaipur andRambagh Palace, Jaipur; and offer authentic royal retreats to the guests in all its grandeur, splendour and magnificence.
Kolkata is known as the City of Palaces within the Indian context, referring to the numerous grand residential buildings that dotted the city from the end of the 18th century onwards, as it grew to become one of the largest cities of theBritish Raj.
Karnataka is famous for theAmba Vilas Palace (commonly known asMysore Palace) in Mysuru /Mysore, which was the palace of theWodeyar kings. It was said to have been built of wood until it had to be rebuilt after afire that burned down the entire palace complex.
During theVOC and colonial era of theDutch East Indies, the colonial government built several European stately palaces as the residence of the governor-general. Most of these European palaces have now become the state palace of the Republic of Indonesia. Indonesian state palaces are theneoclassicMerdeka Palace andBogor Palace.[38]
TheNiavarān Palace Complex is a historical complex situated in the northern part of Tehran, Iran. It consists of several buildings and a museum. The Sahebqraniyeh Palace, from the time ofNaser al-Din Shah of the Qajar dynasty, is also inside this complex. The main Niavaran Palace, completed in 1968, was the primary residence of the last shah,Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, and the imperial family, until the Iranian Revolution. The main palace was designed by the Iranian architect Mohsen Foroughi.
The pre-IsraeliteCanaanite site ofTel Kabri, destroyed in c. 1600 BCE, was built around a palace core. A palace culture of ancientIsrael and Judah can be inferred from theHebrew Bible, and theIron AgeOmride palace atSamaria has been excavated by archaeologists; no palace ofDavid has been securely identified, and the historicity ofSolomon is yet to be proven.
There are a number of magnificent 19th-century buildings that are not considered "palaces", but have the grandeur of a typical palace, such as theYehudayoff-Hefetz residence, and theSergei Courtyard inJerusalem.
Of the palaces in Japan, many are located inTokyo, such as theTokyo Imperial Palace, which houses Japan's royal family. The imperial palace was built on the site ofEdo Castle.[39] Other Japanese palaces are located in Kyoto, the former capital of Japan. Most Japanese palaces are built in a "castle" style formation, as a large pagoda. This helps reinforce the palace from earthquakes.
Korea has used many palaces since ancient times, although many have been destroyed. Palaces were built within, but not limited to Seoul, Kaeseong, Pyeongyang, Gyeongju, and Buyeo, as well as in various cities located outside of modern Korea. Today, onlyJoseon dynasty palaces are still intact, even then, very downsized due to years of colonialism, war, and neglect. The most emblematic of these surviving palaces is theGyeongbokgung,[40] the primary palace of the Joseon Dynasty. Other examples include theChangdeokgung,Changgyeonggung,Deoksugung, andGyeonghuigung. All of these are from the Joseon dynasty and survive to this day, though many had to be reconstructed during the recent decades following their destruction during thecolonial period. Other famous examples include theManwoldae, the palace of theGoryeo dynasty located inKaeseong, theBanwolseong, the palace ofSilla located inGyeongju, andAnhak Palace, the palace ofGoguryeo located inPyeongyang.
Palaces have existed in Lebanon since the time of thePhoenicians. Almost all of the palaces of ancient Phoenicia have been destroyed.
During the Renaissance palaces were built in Lebanon, especially in theChouf region of Mount Lebanon. Lebanese palaces are very diverse architecturally, being influenced by Arabs, Italians, French, Persians, Turkish and East Asians. This is seen in theBeiteddine Palace, which is a mixture of traditional Lebanese, Italian, Arabic and Persian architecture.
Malaysia, a constituent of nine states, is ruled by hereditary sultans. Every five years, one sultan is elected asYang di-Pertuan Agong (Supreme King), the head of state of Malaysia. The Yang di-Pertuan Agong has a palace, referred to as anistana. Each of the other sultans has their ownistana, located in their state. Throughout the country they are sometimes calledIstana Hinggap.
Narayanhiti Palace Museum was a residence and principal workplace of the reigning monarch of the Kingdom of Nepal. It was built by King Mahendra in 1961[42] under the design of Californian architect Benjamin Polk. After the2006 revolution that overthrew the monarchy, this royal palace was turned into a public museum.
Older palaces include the Durbar Squares, which are enlisted asUNESCO World Heritage Sites. They are located inKathmandu Valley in districts ofKathmandu,Bhaktapur andLalitpur. In Kathmandu is Kathmandu Durbar Square, Bhaktapur Durbar Square in Bhaktapur, Patan Durbar Square in Lalitpur.
Kathmandu Durbar Square
Kathmandu Durbar Square (Basantapur Darbar Kshetra) in front of the old royal palace of the former Kathmandu Kingdom is one of three durbar (royal palace) squares in the Kathmandu Valley in Nepal, all of which are UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Several buildings in the Square collapsed due to a major earthquake on 25 April 2015. Durbar Square was surrounded with spectacular architecture and vividly showcases the skills of the Newar artists and craftsmen over several centuries. The Royal Palace was originally at Dattaraya square and was later moved to Durbar square.
The Kathmandu Durbar Square held the palaces of the Malla and Shah kings who ruled over the city. Along with these palaces, the square surrounds quadrangles, revealing courtyards and temples. It is known as Hanuman Dhoka Durbar Square, a name derived from a statue of Hanuman, the monkey devotee of Lord Ram, at the entrance of the palace.
Bhaktapur Durbar Square
Bhaktapur Durbar Square is the plaza in front of the royal palace of the old Bhaktapur Kingdom. It is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The Bhaktapur Durbar Square is located in the current town of Bhaktapur, also known as Bhadgaon, which lies 13 km east of Kathmandu. While the complex consists of at least four distinct squares (Durbar Square, Taumadhi Square, Dattatreya Square and Pottery Square), the whole area is informally known as the Bhakapur Durbar Square and is a highly visited site in the Kathmandu Valley. This palace consists of 55 windows so it is also known as '55 Windowed Palace'.
Patan Durbar Square is situated at the centre of the city of Lalitpur in Nepal. It is also one of the three durbar squares in the Kathmandu Valley, all of which are UNESCO World Heritage Sites. One of its attraction is the ancient royal palace where the Malla kings of Lalitpur resided.
The Durbar Square is a marvel of Newa architecture. The floor of the square is tiled with red bricks. There are many temples and idols in the area. The main temples are aligned opposite of the western face of the palace. The entrance of thetemples faces east, towards the palace. There is also a bell situated in the alignment beside the main temples. The Square also holds old Newari residential houses. There are various other temples and structures in and around Patan Durbar Square built by the Newa People.
Inpre-Hispanic Philippines,Filipinos built large wooden residences for the ancient nobility and royalty (such aslakans, wangs,rajahs anddatus) calledtorogan[43] orbahay lakan ("king's house"). The windows of thetorogan are slits and richly framed in wood panels withokir designs located in front of the house. The communal kitchen is half a meter lower than the main house and is both used for cooking and eating. The distinct high gable roof of thetorogan, thin at the apex and gracefully flaring out to the eaves, sits on a huge structures enclosed by slabs of timber and lifted more than two meters above the ground by a huge trunk of a tree that was set on a rock. The end floor beams lengthen as panolongs the seemed to lift up the whole house. The torogan is suffused with decorations. There were diongal at the apex of the roof, also an intricately carved tinai a walai,okir designs in the floor, on windows and on panolongs.[44]
The people in the southern part of Philippines built the same wooden palaces such as thelanggal of theTausug. In theSultanate of Sulu, a palace was built for the sultans and was namedAstana Darul Jambangan (white adobe), which was destroyed by a typhoon in 1912. A replica of the royal palace has been rebuilt as an attraction in Mt. Bayug Eco-Cultural Park in the town ofTalipao, Sulu.[45]
The enormousTopkapı Palace complex inIstanbul was begun in 1459, and with its many additions survived almost completely intact until it was turned into a museum in 1923. It was the centre of government as well as the residence of theOttoman Caliphs. It combined aspects of the typical Asian form of a group of pavilions set in a large walled garden (part is nowGülhane Park) with the European style of a single massive building with courtyards. Visitors passed through a series of courtyards, originally lined with hundreds of soldiers along the arcades, with only the most important or favoured reaching the Fourth Courtyard and the imperial residential quarters.
By the 19th century Topkapı was largely abandoned as a residence in favour of the newDolmabahçe Palace andYıldız Palace, as well as smallerOttoman palaces in Istanbul, some summer retreats and the like. These were in essentially European architectural styles.
TheGruuthusemuseum is a museum of applied arts inBruges, located in the late medieval Gruuthuse, the Palace ofLouis de Gruuthuse. The collection ranges from the 15th to the 19th century.
Presumably in the 13th century, a rich family from Bruges received themonopoly to levy taxes ongruit, and built storage for it. The building was changed in the early fifteenth century byJan 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 adjacentChurch of Our Lady, Bruges, so that members of the household could see the high altar from wide windows in the room.[46] However the building was very heavily restored in the 19th century.
"Hof van Kamerijk" or "Palace ofMargaret 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, includingCharles V (Holy Roman Emperor and Archduke of Austria, King of Spain and Duke of Burgundy)
The "Hof van Busleyden", early 16th-century Renaissance palace ofHieronymus van Busleyden; The "Archbishop 's palace", 18th-century building and the official seat of theArchbishop ofthe Roman Catholic province Belgium; The "Hof van Palermo", 15th-century palace ofJan I Carondelet; The "Hof van Hoogstraten", 16th-century palace ofAntoon I van Lalaing; The "Hof van Nassau", 15th-century building which served as temporary court ofMargaret of York when she arrived in Mechelen after her marriage withCharles 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 theColoma family
In France there has been a clear distinction between achâteau and apalais. The palace has always been urban, like thePalais de la Cité inParis, which was the royal palace of France and is now the supreme court of justice of France, or the palace of thePopes atAvignon.
The château, by contrast, has always been in rural settings, supported by itsdemesne, 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 theChâteau de Versailles for the French, and the seat of government under theAncien Régime remained thePalais duLouvre. The Louvre had begun as a fortifiedChâteau 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 thePalais du Louvre.
Thehôtel particulier remains the term for an urban residence sitedentre cour et jardin, behind a forecourt and opening onto a garden; when fronting directly on streets, they aremaisons, "houses". Bishops always had apalais in the town of their diocese, anhôtel in other towns, though they might possesschateaux.
The usage is essentially the same in Italy, Spain and Portugal, as well as the formerAustrian Empire. InVienna, Austria, all large mansions belonging to aristocratic or very wealthy families were traditionally calledpalais, but this never applied to imperial palaces themselves which were calledBurg within the city andSchloss when outside it. In Germany, the wider term was a relatively recent importation and was used rather more restrictively.
The German term for "palace" isPalast, which is used especially for large palatial complexes and gardens. Large country houses are typically calledschloss (chateaux orcastle in English).
Germany offers a variety of more than 25,000 castles and palaces and thousands ofmanor houses. The country is known for itsfairy tale-like scenery palatial buildings, such asSanssouci,Linderhof Palace,Herrenchiemsee,Schwetzingen,Nordkirchen andSchwerin Palace. Many of these buildings have a history of over 1000 years, ranging from fortifications to royal residences. Many German castles after theMiddle Ages were mainly built as royal or ducal palaces rather than as a fortified building.
InHungary distinction is made between urban and rural residencies. Only the urban residencies of the higher aristocracy were calledpalota (palace); rural stately homes were namedkastély (mansion), or in case of smaller country houses,kúria. Noble landowner families, like theHouse of Esterházy, often had several mansions in the countryside and palaces in towns. The office of thepresident 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 KingMatthias Corvinus inVisegrád orBuda Castle which was calledKirályi-palota (Royal Palace). In the second half of the 19th century, splendid new townhouses of the bourgeoisie onAndrássy út and elsewhere inBudapest were named palaces. A typical example is the Art NouveauGresham 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 werebérpalota meaning rent palace). For contemporary buildings the term is seldom used with the notable exemption of thePalace of Arts.
In Ireland, the term "palace" (Irish:pailís) is rarely used. The main royal residence in Ireland,Dublin Castle, was never called a palace, nor isHillsborough Castle, the main royal residence of Northern Ireland.
The word "palace" is largely restricted to large official dwellings for Church of Ireland bishops:
In Italy, any urban building built as a grand residence is apalazzo; these are often no larger than a Victoriantownhouse. It was not necessary to be anobleman for one's house to be considered apalazzo; the hundreds ofpalazzi inVenice nearly all belonged to thepatrician class of the city. In theMiddle Ages these also functioned aswarehouses and places of business, as well as homes. Each family'spalazzo 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 oldpalazzi were converted to this use.
Bishop's townhouses were alwayspalazzi, and the seat of a localized regime would also be so called. Many former capitals display aDucal Palace, the seat of the local duke or lord. InFlorence (just as for other strongcommunal 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 inPalazzo Pitti, and the old centre of power began to be referred to as thePalazzo Vecchio.
Shops on the ground floor and flats at the top of a modernpalazzo are not at all incongruous: historically, the ground floors of even a great family'spalazzo could be trade and domestic offices often open to servants, tradesmen, customers and the public, while the smartest and most prestigious floor (known as thepiano 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.
When the Order began to build a new capitalValletta in 1566, a newGrandmaster's Palace and a series ofnew 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 isAuberge 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 asVerdala Palace andSan Anton Palace. Both of these now serve as official residences of thepresident of Malta.
TheArchbishop of Malta has a palace in Mdina. The inquisitor also had apalace in Birgu andanother 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 notablyPalazzo Parisio in Valletta andPalazzo Dragonara in St Julians.
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 TsarPeter the Great and his immediate successors. Examples of Russian palaces include:
The palaces where the Scandinavian monarchs reside.
The three Scandinavian countries ofDenmark,Norway andSweden all have long monarchic histories and possess several palaces. In DenmarkChristiansborg 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 theRoyal Palace in Oslo has been used as the royal residence since 1849. In Sweden the largeStockholm 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 modestDrottningholm Palace.
The two dynasties of post-Ottoman Serbia,Karađorđević andObrenović, built numerous royal residences throughout the country. The most prominent are to be found in the capital,Belgrade: theStari Dvor and Novi Dvor (Old Palace and New Palace, respectively) in the downtown, and theDedinje Royal Compound which includes theKraljevski Dvor theBeli Dvor (Royal Palace and White Palace, respectively) in the suburb ofDedinje.
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 theRoyal 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[when?] is of use for only governmental business while the royal family resides in the smaller Palacio de la Zarzuela.
Although manyEnglish 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 theroyal family orbishops, regardless of whether located in town or country. However, not all palaces use the term in their name – seeWindsor Castle. Thus thePalace of Beaulieu gained its name precisely whenThomas Boleyn sold it toHenry VIII in 1517. Previously, it had been known as Walkfares, but like several other palaces includingHampton 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 royalPalace 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, theDuke of Marlborough. Along with several royal andepiscopal 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.
Incontinental 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 ofParliament" is thePalace 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 asThe Crystal Palace of 1851 (an immensely large, glazed hall erected forThe Great Exhibition) and modern arenas-convention centers likeAlexandra Palace.
The largest in the world is the[82]Palace of the Parliament inBucharest, Romania. Built during the socialist regime, no effort or expense was spared to raise this colossal neo-classic building.
^James Blake Wiener."Temple of Garni".World History Encyclopedia.There remains considerable academic debate as to whether Garni functioned as a summer palace as well in Late Antiquity.
^"The Empire the World Forgot".bbc.com.The original purpose of the mosque of Manuchihr is debated on both the Turkish and Armenian sides. Some contend that the building once served as a palace for the Armenian Bagratid dynasty and was only later converted into a mosque.
^"Armenian Architecture". University of Chile.Towards the end of the 12th century and the beginning of the 13th century, two Armenian generals, Zakare and Ivan Zakarian, led Armenian and Georgian troops in liberating Northern Armenia including Shirak and Airarat. Under the new conditions, the economy prospered, and business activities, both domestic and foreign, stimulated the construction of roads, bridges, caravansaries, hostelries, palaces and various other religious and secular buildings.
^Artak Ghulyan."Castles (Palaces) Of Meliks Of Artsakh And Siunik". Archived fromthe original on 13 April 2021.The melikal palaces have mainly been the defence point, the special citadel of the residence-center, and they have also been called fortresses for this reason (Kashatagh, Kaghakategh, Mokhratagh, Horekavan, Gulatagh, Shushi).
^"Kashatagh (Lachin) province". ArCgroup. 2001. Archived from the original on 13 September 2011.Based on the research of 1985 architect Artak Ghulian provided the first architectural description of the princely quarters. In this regard he has particularly stated that "being the continuation of traditional forms and volumes annlied in the compositional resolution of the palaces of Khachen and Vayots Dzor of the 12th-14th centuries, the planning and volume of Kashatagh castle is a link between the further development of the 17th-18th cent melik residences frequent in Karabakh and Zanghezoor".
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