Ridderzaal

Infobox Historic building
name = Ridderzaal


caption = The entrance of the Ridderzaal in 2003
map_type =
latitude = 52.079444
longitude = 4.312778
location = Binnenhof
location_town = The Hague
location_country = Netherlands
architect =
client = Floris V, Count of Holland
engineer =
construction_start_date =
completion_date = 13th century
date_demolished =
cost =
owner =
structural_system =
style = Gothic architecture
size =

The Ridderzaal (Knights' Hall) is the main building at the Binnenhof in The Hague, The Netherlands, which is used for the state opening of Parliament on the third Tuesday in September, Prinsjesdag, when the Dutch monarch drives to Parliament in the Golden Carriage and delivers the speech from the throne. It also used for official royal receptions, and interparliamentary conferences.

History

Floris IV, Count of Holland, bought in the 13th century a piece of land next to a small lake to build a house on. The Ridderzaal, the manorial hall of Floris V, grandson of Floris IV, was built on this estate by Gerard van Leiden in the 13th century. Over the centuries, the government buildings developed around this lake and incorporated the Ridderzaal. From the early 17th century, the Ridderzaal became an important trading place for booksellers, as Westminster Hall was in London. In later centuries served a variety of purposes - as a market hall, a promenade, a drill hall, a public record office, a hospital ward, even the offices of the state lottery. It was restored between 1898 and 1904 to serve its present purposes.

Building

This large Gothic hall (40m/130ft by 20m/65ft) has magnificent stained glass windows depicting the coats of arms of Dutch towns; particularly fine is the rose window with the arms of the principal noble families of the Netherlands. The heavy timber roof structure with its 18m/60ft long beams has the appearance of an upturned ship. Wooden heads symbolizing eavesdroppers from the higher powers are supposed to deter members of the assembly from lying.

The throne in the Ridderzaal was designed by Pierre Cuypers. [nl icon cite web
last = Boer
first = Nienke de
title = Ridderzaal in ere hersteld
publisher = Ministry of Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment
date = September 2006
url = http://www.vrom.nl/get.asp?file=Docs/pers/A4_folder_LRdef.pdf
accessdate = 2008-07-29 ]

References

External links