Royal Palace of Amsterdam

The Royal Palace in Amsterdam (Koninklijk Paleis Amsterdam or Paleis op de Dam) is one of three palaces in the Netherlands which are at the disposal of the monarch by Act of Parliament. It is situated on the west side of Dam Square in the centre of Amsterdam, opposite the War Memorial and next to the Nieuwe Kerk.The palace was built as a city hall during the Dutch Golden Age in the 17th century. The building became the royal palace of King Louis Napoleon and later of the Dutch Royal House.HistoryTown hallThe structure was built as the Town Hall of the City of Amsterdam "facing the landing wharfs along Damrak, which at that time would have been busy with ships". The town hall was opened on 29 July 1655 by Cornelis de Graeff, the mayor of Amsterdam. The main architect was Jacob van Campen, who took control of the construction project in 1648. It was built on 13,659 wooden piles and cost 8.5 million gulden. A yellowish sandstone from Bentheim in Germany was used for the entire building. Marble was the chosen material for the interior.