The most beautiful palaces in the world. The most beautiful palaces in the world

It is rather difficult to determine exactly which palace in the world is the largest, since representatives of different countries claim that they have the “most-most” palace. IN different countries palaces have different purposes: somewhere it is a building that is used as a royal residence, somewhere it is the official residence of the head of state, and sometimes it is the residence of the holy fathers. In this review, the most beautiful and famous palaces from around the world.

1. Royal Palace in Brussels

Situated in front of the Brussels Park in the center of the Belgian capital, the Royal Palace of Brussels is the official residence of the King and Queen of Belgium. The palace, designed in neoclassical architectural style, has an area of ​​over 33,000 square meters.

2. Windsor Castle

Built back in the 11th century after the Norman invasion of England, Windsor Castle is the world's largest and oldest inhabited castle, and the longest used royal palace in Europe. The castle, which combines original Gothic elements and Victorian design, has an area of ​​55,000 sq. m.

3. Winter Palace

4. Palace in Caserta

5. Royal Palace in Stockholm

6. Palace of Versailles

7. Topkapi Palace

8. Prague Castle

9. Buckingham Palace

Located in the Westminster area of ​​central London, Buckingham Palace is the London residence and administrative headquarters of the reigning monarch of the United Kingdom. The palace has 775 rooms, big garden on 16 hectares, and its total area is 77,000 square meters. m.

10. Royal Palace of Madrid

Completed in 1755, the Royal Palace of Madrid is the official residence of the Spanish royal family, but is only used for state ceremonies. With its incredible number of rooms (3,418), this building is currently the largest functioning palace in Europe. Its area is 135,000 sq. m.

11. Forbidden City

12. Apostolic Palace

13. Istana Nurul Iman

14. Louvre

15. Palace of Parliament

It turns out that in order to be interesting, a place or building does not have to be famous and visited at all. There is in this world at least

The palace is a luxurious residence where members of royal families, heads of state or other dignitaries live. Sometimes their beauty and splendor are so striking that the imagination easily draws pictures of the past, allowing you to plunge into the atmosphere of bygone days. We offer an overview of the most beautiful royal palaces in the world.

In 1838, King Ferdinand II decided to build a summer residence for the royal family, and since by that time the property of most religious orders had been confiscated, there was no question of choosing a place. Pena Palace in Portugal appeared on the site of the ruins of a monastery destroyed during the earthquake of 1755. It stands on top of a rocky hill, offering panoramic views of the surrounding valleys and gardens.

The author of the project is the German architect Baron Wilhelm Ludwig von Eschwege. This is a real mix of architectural styles. They say that this customer urged to make the most of medieval elements preserved from the monastery. However, here you can also find elements of Arab architecture that turn the castle into a scenery of oriental fairy tales. In 1889, the state bought the palace, and after the revolution of 1910, it was categorized national monuments and turned into a museum. The rooms look exactly the same as they did when the front door closed behind the last king.

The palace, which is also called the Amba Vilas Palace, is located in the city of Mysore in southern India. This is the official residence of the Wodeyars, the former royal family of Mysore. The city has many attractions, it is often called the city of palaces, but darker less the term "Mysore Palace" refers to only one - located in the old fort. The current version of the palace was built from 1897 to 1912. More than 2.7 million tourists come to admire it every year, although photography is prohibited inside.

Architectural style The palace is most often described as Indo-Saracenic, which combined elements of Indian, Islamic and gothic styles. It is a three-story gray granite building with pink marble domes and a five-story tower 44 meters high. Designed by Henry Irwin.

One of the most famous architectural monuments country in the 1960s became the main destination for the tourist influx in Vienna. Schönbrunn is a former imperial baroque summer residence. This is an incredibly huge palace, it has 1441 rooms. After the siege of Vienna by the Turks, it had to be rebuilt. The reconstruction lasted from 1696 to 1712 during the reign of Emperor Leopold I. The author of the project was the architect Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach. Under Maria Theresa, the palace underwent major changes. The interior is designed in the Rococo style (white surfaces decorated with 14 carat gold leaf ornaments, Bohemian glass chandeliers, tiled stoves.

The Summer Imperial Palace, covering an area of ​​2.9 square kilometers, is located just 15 kilometers from the center of the Chinese capital. Its name is translated from Chinese as "a garden to maintain health and harmony." It is the largest surviving royal complex in China.

The first time it was built in 1750, it suffered several times during the hostilities, especially in 1860, and was restored each time. The last version of the palace was created in 1886. It was he who was recognized as a masterpiece of Chinese landscape design. In 1924 it was opened to tourists. On the territory of the complex there are more than 3,000 ancient man-made structures, including buildings with an area of ​​70,000 square meters. The natural landscape is harmoniously combined with artificial structures - pavilions, halls, palaces, temples and bridges, forming a beautiful architectural ensemble.

The Palace of Versailles is palace and park ensemble, which grew out of a hunting lodge built by Louis XIII in 1624. This is an amazing example of French art of the 17th-18th centuries, its architecture is fully consistent with the traditional canons of classicism: symmetrical design, a facade with columns, antique and mythical sculptures. However, there are several elements in the Baroque style that bring fantasy notes to the classical style. Versailles is one of the largest and luxurious palaces peace. It has over 2000 rooms, 2143 windows, 1252 fireplaces and 67 staircases.

Built as a hunting estate for King Francis I, Chambord is one of the finest examples of french architecture the Renaissance. It took more than 30 years to build it. The author of the project is the Italian architect Domenico da Corton. This is the most Grand Palace in the vicinity of the Loire Valley, it has more than 440 rooms, 85 stairs, 800 sculptural columns.

Buckingham Palace is the official London residence of the British monarchs. It was originally Vacation home, built in 1705 by the Duke of Buckingham, who in 1761 was bought by King George III for his wife. In 1826 King Gerg IV asked the famous architect John Nash to expand the house. The first to move into the palace was Queen Victoria, who continued to finish building it. The new east wing boasts a huge number of rooms and a ballroom 40 meters long. It is the facade of the east wing that is depicted in most photographs known throughout the world. For visitors in August-September, 19 rooms, a ballroom and a garden are opened.

The Alhambra is an architectural and park ensemble located on a hilly terrace in the eastern part of the city of Granada in Southern Spain. It was originally a fortress built in 889, and only in 1333 Sultan Yusuf I turned it into Royal Palace. Christian rulers did not refuse such beauty either. Emperor Charles V, who spent several months in Granada, began the construction of the palace that bears his name, and made changes to the interior of the existing building. Subsequent rulers also did not forget to contribute their share to the reconstruction of the palace. In the 18-19 centuries, they forgot about it, and the castle turned into a haven for thieves and beggars, Napoleon's troops turned it into barracks. Only in 1870 it was proclaimed a national treasure. Since then, every year many tourists come to admire the amazing Spanish pearl.

Built on the hill of Marpo Ri, the Potala Palace is located above all the ancient palaces in the world - the most high point reaches 3767 meters. The palace is named after sacred mountain in India, whose name translates as "Buddha of Mercy". Legend has it that in the 7th century, the Tibetan king Songtsen Gampo built a nine-story palace with a thousand rooms in honor of his bride Princess Wen Cheng. True, this palace was destroyed during numerous wars, and the one that appears before tourists now was built during the reign of the Qing Dynasty.

The palace consists of two parts: the Red Palace - the central building and the White Palace - two wings. The Red Palace is a religious part of the complex, consisting of halls, chapels and libraries on various levels, connected by small galleries and corridors. The White Palace serves administrative center where the Dalai Lama is located.

One of the most beautiful and largest royal palaces was built from 1406 to 1420. It served as the royal residence for 24 emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties for almost 500 years. The complex consists of 980 buildings located on 720 thousand square meters. It is an example of traditional Chinese palace architecture.

At all times palaces, which were the residences of the most powerful people of their time, were examples of majesty, luxury and magnificence. There are hundreds of such buildings in the world, most of which, even in our time, do not cease to amaze the imagination with their beauty, power, history and perfection.

Some of these majestic buildings still fulfill their historical purpose, being the official residences of monarchs or heads of state, while some have become uninhabited, turning into museums, exhibition galleries or places where very wealthy and influential people prefer to hold banquets and all kinds of events.

Palaces with their unique architecture and numerous ceremonial halls, decorated with royal and princely monograms, still retain the spirit of their era. For the construction of their apartments, the monarchs spared neither money, nor time, nor even the lives of their subjects. And, probably, the expression "beauty requires sacrifice" can be safely applied to any of the palaces built for the monarchs of the Middle Ages.

Besides that fairytale palaces kings, emperors and sultans were buried in luxury, they were still built according to the most advanced technologies of their time. Plumbing, sewerage, steam heating, elevators and other, common now, but fantastic in those days, the benefits of civilization, for the most part, first appeared in the palaces of monarchs or their nobles.

In today's issue, we have prepared for you a selection of 10 of the most majestic and luxurious palaces in the world. See photos and descriptions for them.

Palace "Gugong"

"Gugong" or "Purple Forbidden City" in Beijing, perhaps, can be called one of the most ancient palace complexes. It was built from 1406 to 1420. as the residence of Chinese emperors, covers an area of ​​730 thousand square meters. meters and has 8707 rooms. More than 1 million builders, stone carvers, artists and other specialists were involved in its construction. The Gugun Palace is the first building in the world that did not use stove heating. Heat was supplied to the palace through special pipes from an autonomous boiler room. However, despite the majesty of the palace complex, the forces and means spent on it, the emperors of the Celestial Empire did not really like this residence, preferring to live and work in other palaces. Currently, "Gugong" is national museum China.

Potala Palace

Castle Potala in Tibet. History of this majestic building goes back to 637 AD, when the Tibetan ruler Songtsen Gampo built his first residence here. In the course of time, the old wooden palace burned down more than once, it was destroyed by the invaders, and, in the end, it completely collapsed. In its place, in 1645, the construction of a new palace complex began, which later became the residence of the Tibetan Dalai Lamas. The construction of the palace continued for 50 years. The total area of ​​this gigantic structure is 360 thousand square meters. m. Currently, the Potala Palace is both a museum and a place of pilgrimage for Buddhists from all over the world.

The largest and one of the most famous museums in the world - Parisian was once the residence French kings. Initially, in 1190, a fortress was built on the site of the palace, which was completed and modified. In 1317, King Charles V decided to make his residence here. Over time, the old palace began to collapse and the next French monarch - King Francis I from 1528 to 1546 had to rebuild the Louvre and turn it into a magnificent royal residence. Work continued until 1594, when the already new monarch, Henry IV, decided to combine the Louvre with the neighboring Tuileries Palace, creating a majestic palace complex. But on Henry IV, the reconstruction of the palace did not end - the monarchs following him, including Napoleon Bonaparte, also had a hand in turning the Louvre into one of the most beautiful palaces th complexes in the world. The total area of ​​the Louvre is more than 106 thousand square meters. m.

Versailles

Palace and park complex Versailles- one of the most beautiful buildings not only in Europe. The construction of the palace was begun in 1661 by King Louis XIV, known as the "Sun King", and continued until 1710. Versailles was the royal residence until 1789 and was rightfully considered a model of architectural elegance and luxury. The royal palace itself, like its interior decoration, were made by famous sculptors, artists and architects of the "Great Age". Versailles is also famous for its magnificent parks and fountains. The cost of building the palace complex is considered one of the largest in world history. The recalculation of expenses for modern money still baffles both historians and financiers. The amount ranges from 3 billion to 260 billion euros! The total area of ​​the palace complex of Versailles is also impressive - it is more than 100 hectares.

Doge's Palace

Doge's Palace in Venice - a majestic monument of the Italian gothic architecture. It was built between 1309 and 1424. and was not only the residence of the Doge (elected rulers) of the Venetian Republic, but also the office, as they say now, of law enforcement agencies. Here were located Supreme Court, Grand Council with the Senate, the secret police and other influential departments. Gilded staircases, huge halls with elegant stucco, wall paintings and paintings by famous masters amaze with their magnificence and power. The Doge's Palace, together with St. Mark's Cathedral and other buildings, forms the main architectural ensemble of Venice and is one of its main attractions.

Since 1837 it has been the official residence of the British monarchs. Prior to this, the building belonged to the Duke of Buckingham, who built it in 1703. In 1762, the palace was purchased by King George III for his private residence and underwent a series of dramatic changes. Officially, the palace became royal in 1837 with the accession to the British throne of Queen Victoria. The queen, after whom an entire era in art is named, naturally could not help but make her own changes to the architecture and interior decoration of the palace. During the years of her reign, additional structures were added to the main building and even the Marble Arch, the main entrance to the royal residence, was moved. Today, the hostess of Buckingham Palace is the current Queen of Great Britain, Elizabeth II, who has been on the British throne for over 60 years. The territory of the royal estates, where Buckingham Palace is located, is 20 hectares, 17 of which are occupied by gardens. The palace has 775 rooms. Two months a year (August-September) Buckingham Palace is open to tourists.

Peterhof

Palace and park complex Peterhof according to the plan of Peter I was to become the most luxurious royal summer residence, comparable to magnificent palaces European monarchs. Its construction began in 1714 under the personal guidance of the king and partly according to his sketches. Already in 1723, the grand opening of Peterhof took place, but for many years the palace complex was completed and rebuilt, new fountains and parks were erected, the Sea Canal was dug and new palaces Monplaisir and Marly were built. What Peter I started was brilliantly completed by his descendants. Peterhof is one of the most beautiful palace complexes not only in Russia but also in Europe. Unfortunately, during the Great Patriotic War Peterhof was plundered by the Nazi invaders and partially destroyed. Thanks to the efforts of Soviet and later Russian historians, architects and artists, the palace and park complex was restored and is now a museum-reserve. For majesty, elegance and luxury, Peterhof is often called the Russian Versailles.

Prague Castle

Or, as it is also called, Prague Castle can rightfully be considered one of the world's largest official presidential residences. Previously, the castle was the residence of the Czech monarchs, but now here workplace Czech President. The emergence of the fortress is associated with the foundation of Prague. The castle is located on a high hill, which made it impregnable for enemies. The construction of the Prague Castle began in 1135 by Prince Sobeslav I with the erection of the first stone princely palace. Then, over the centuries, the castle grew, eventually turning into a majestic residence of Czech monarchs and some emperors of the Holy Roman Empire, which at one time included the territory of the Czech Republic. Prague Castle underwent significant changes and reconstruction during the reign of Emperors Charles IV and Ferdinand I. Until the very end of the 20th century, the castle area was closed to the public, but with the coming to power in 1989 of Czech President Vaclav Havel, the doors of the palace halls and parks were opened to the public. Prague Castle is considered a unique building of Gothic architecture and a treasury of artistic and historical treasures of the Czech Republic.

Dolmabahce Palace

Castle Dolmabahce, located on the European side of the Bosphorus River in Istanbul, used to be the official residence of the Ottoman sultans, but now this majestic building houses the residence of the Prime Minister of Turkey. The palace was built from 1842 to 1853. for Sultan Abdulmecid I, who wished to have a baroque palace, not inferior in luxury and sophistication to the residences of European monarchs of the 18th century. Dolmabahce, which in Turkish means "mound garden", has changed more than once. Each new sultan contributed to its improvement, expansion, exterior decoration and rich interiors. For several decades, the palace complex has grown so much that its total area was 45 thousand square meters. meters. It is known that the decoration of the interiors and the Crystal Staircase of the palace took about 14 tons of gold, and the total cost of construction amounted to more than 5 million gold pounds - at that time this was a huge amount. Among the main attractions of Dolmabahce are a 5-ton Bohemian glass chandelier donated by the British Queen Victoria, as well as a collection of paintings by the great Russian painter Ivan Aivazovsky, made by him specially by order of the Sultan. After the fall of the monarchy, the first president of the Turkish Republic and the leader of the nation, Ataturk, lived and worked in the palace. After his death, Dolmabahce became a museum. In 2007, the Turkish Parliament returned the palace complex to a political function, making it the official residence of the Prime Minister in Istanbul.

Istana Palace Nurul Iman

cannot be bypassed and modern palaces and the residences of the rulers, built in our time and shining with no less luxury and splendor than their medieval "brothers". Among the modern palace complexes, the residence stands out Sultan of Brunei Hassanala Bolkiah - Istana Nurul Iman(in translation - "Palace of Light"), which today is one of the most luxurious and majestic residences of modern rulers. The palace complex is located in the capital of Brunei - the city of Bandar Seri Begawan and serves as the official residence of the head of state. The palace also houses the apartments of the Sultan himself and his family members. In addition, there are government offices and a mosque that can accommodate 1.5 thousand people. As the world's largest residential residence for a sitting head of state, the Istana Nurul Iman Palace is listed in the Guinness Book of Records. The total area of ​​the building is more than 200 thousand square meters. meters. It has 1788 rooms, 5 swimming pools, a banquet hall for 4 thousand people, 18 elevators, an underground garage for 153 cars and stables for 200 horses. The palace also houses a collection of paintings by famous painters, including a Renoir painting purchased by the Sultan in 1980 for $70 million.

In the next issue, we will introduce you to other no less majestic, luxurious and famous palaces and residences of rulers of different eras.

At one time, when members of the royal family were born, they were allowed to "build" heaven on earth. With a huge amount of funds, they erected heaven on earth. You can see what came of it.

Chambord Castle (de Chambord)

Chambord Castle stands on the left bank of the Loire - in a dense park surrounded by an openwork lattice. The castle is a combination of French Renaissance architecture, classical Italian and French medieval architecture.

Alhambra

Potala Palace
The history of the Potala dates back to the 7th century, when King Srontzen Gampo ordered the construction of a palace in the center of Lhasa, on Red Mountain. amo word "Potala" comes from Sanskrit, and means " Mystic Mountain". The Potala is located at 3700 meters above sea level, its height is 115 meters, divided into 13 floors, the total area of ​​​​which is more than 130,000 square meters. There is no exact data on how many rooms and halls are in the Potala. Their number is "where more than a thousand", and there are very few people who could get around them all. The Potala Palace is included in the UN World Heritage Book. The Potala is open to tourists. A few incarnations are not enough to see all its relics and values. ..Today, the Potala is a functioning palace-museum.There are monks who maintain the work of the entire complex.The whole building is divided into the Red and White Palace.A myriad of stone, wood, gold and precious stones. Some of what is in the Potala can be seen in these photographs.

Palace of Versailles
Located 20 km southwest of Paris, the royal town of Versailles, better known as the Palace of Versailles, is a huge palace built by Louis XIV and has now become one of the most visited tourist destinations in France.
The idea of ​​building a new castle arose from the king because of the envy he experienced when he saw the castle of his finance minister in Vaux-le-Vicomte. As a result, the king made a firm decision that his palace should, of course, surpass the palace of the minister in luxury. He hired the same team of craftsmen that built Vaux-le-Vicomte, the architect Louis Lévaux, the painter Charles Lebrun and the landscape architect André Le Nôtre, and ordered them to build something that would surpass the size of the palace of Vaux-le-Vicomte a hundred times. The Palace of Versailles has become the apotheosis of the indulgence of the whims of the French monarchs, and although you may not quite like the environment in which the extravagant and self-loving “Sun King” wished to live, the historical significance of this palace is enormous, the stories associated with it are truly fascinating, and the park around the palace is simply charming.

Summer Palace, China
One of the most famous parks in China is, of course, the Yiheyuan Park, the Summer Imperial Palace, located near Beijing. The park itself dates back to the fifteenth century, over the centuries it was gradually filled with beautiful buildings, something disappeared, something reappeared, several times the Park was severely destroyed and rose again from the ashes. In particular, it was restored in the nineteenth century by Empress Cixi. Today, the Park has been beautifully restored and allows everyone who enters its territory to enjoy the beauty of Chinese nature and architecture.
There are an incredible number of buildings in the park, and all of them are worthy of attention. This is Zhenshuudian - a beautiful building where the emperor lived (there is a beautiful throne), and several other palaces, and many temples - for example, Fosyange Temple (temple of incense smoking to the glory of Buddha). By the way, it is the Foxiangge Temple that is often associated with Yiheyuan Park and is almost its symbol. There are also several pavilions for various purposes, and gates, and many gardens, and the Jade Belt Bridge ...

Schönbrunn Palace
Schönbrunn Palace, located in the immediate suburbs of the capital of Austria, Vienna, until 1918 was the summer residence of the monarchs from the Habsburg dynasty. The palace, as well as the garden around it, is an excellent example of Austrian Baroque architecture and still attracts the attention of a huge number of tourists. The very name of the place (Schönbrunn - beautiful, delightful) fully reflects the expectations that its royal owners put into it.
The history of imperial Schönbrunn begins in 1569, the year the Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire Maximilian II of Habsburg bought part of the floodplain of the Vienna River between the villages of Meidling and Hietzing in order to turn this area into his hunting ground. Pheasants, ducks, wild boars and even deer were kept here, fish were bred in specially created ponds.
For almost a century, the estate was used as a place for unpretentious country recreation and hunting, and the small Catterburg Castle, which was left from the previous owners, was used as a house for accommodation.
Only by the time of Eleonora Gonzaga (wife of Emperor Ferdinand II) did the first significant reconstructions take place: in 1638-1643, in addition to the castle, a small palace was also built, and a greenhouse appeared in the park.
During the reign of the next emperor, Leopold, here, according to the project of the most famous Austrian architect of the Baroque era, Johan Fischer von Erlach, the construction of a much more grand and extensive building (1696-1712) began. It was intended, however, not for Leopold, but for his son Joseph. Due to well-known financial difficulties (there was a war for the Spanish Succession) and the death of Emperor Leopold, the palace was not completely finished. The next owner of Schönbrunn, Emperor Charles VI, visited here on short trips, and used this palace exclusively as a hunting lodge. In the end, he gave it to his daughter Maria Theresa (later also the Empress), whose name is associated with the most brilliant era in the history of Schönbrunn.

mysore palace
The main palace of Mysore was erected in 1897. Then the city of Mysore was the center of the kingdom of Mysore (Mysore / Mysuru). Nowadays, the palace is illuminated in the evening (on Sundays) by 96,000 40-watt bulbs, and darkness reigns around it for contrast. :-) There are many (five or six) Vedic temples on the territory of the palace. I was in one of them (and even bought prasadam there), I really liked it. There is a sense of the presence of God. You can see a short puja... The whole territory of the Mysore palace is very beautiful. Clean and bright. For tourists there are elephant and camel rides. But me more interesting temples. :-) Well, architecture. In the depths of the palace territory there lives a herd of domestic elephants, they can be seen in the photographs. True, it was already dark, and I could not get close to them ...

Pena Palace
Lost in the hills of Sintra and often hidden in a veil of mist and mist, National Palace Pena (Palácio Nacional de Pena) is recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site and is one of the Seven Wonders of Portugal. The building of the palace was conceived as a monastery and built by order of King Manuel I. For several centuries it remained a small peaceful monastery, intended for spiritual exercises of no more than eighteen monks. After the building was struck by lightning, and in 1755 it was damaged by an earthquake, the monastery was destroyed and abandoned. In 1838, King Ferdinand II bought old monastery and all the nearby woods and grounds, and began the construction of what is sometimes referred to as an insane fad and fairytale castle, suitable only for Disneyland and completely impractical. Construction began in 1842 and lasted twelve years. After the death of Ferdinand, the palace changed hands several times, until finally in 1910 the state bought it out to turn it into a museum. Today Pena Palace is one of the most visited attractions in Portugal, easily recognizable by its vibrant colors.

Forbidden City
Forbidden City is a complex of buildings in China. Located in the capital Beijing. It is located in the city center, very close to Tiananmen. This complex was built during the Ming government, which ruled China between 1368 - 1644 and into last time Chinese citizen of dynasties. Currently, the Forbidden City is called the Palace Museum. The city is surrounded by walls and a moat. Throughout the city are measured 960 meters long and 760 meters wide. All buildings of this complex are located on the north-south. To the north, the Forbidden City Lunch opens the gate, which is still on the high gate. Around the middle of the complex are followed by a group of ceremonial buildings - the Hall of the Supreme Harmony, which was built in 1627 and which hosted coronation rites, birthdays and New Year celebration of the emperor. In addition to the hall, in perfect harmony, in which the emperor prepared for the ceremony, the hall is the guard of harmony. In addition to the ceremonial part of the private imperial. It is separated from the Gate of Heavenly Purity, and also consists of 3 buildings - the Palace of Heavenly Purity, the residential palace of the Earth world, and is located between Big hall connections. In 1911 it was inaccessible to the Forbidden City. Only after the fall of the dynasty were available for ordinary people. Since 1987 it has been a Forbidden City, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Buckingham Palace
The world-famous Buckingham Palace is the official London residence of the Queen of England - Her Majesty Elizabeth II. But it's not easy main palace country, not only the place of work of the Queen, where for more than forty years she has been acting head of the British state and the Commonwealth of nations, supreme commander of the armed forces and secular head Anglican Church. First of all, it is the residence of the English queen and her family. Buckingham Palace

Nansach Palace (Incomparable)

The great monarch Henry VIII could not bear the thought of considering himself a less powerful monarch than his continental rivals. And so, he decided to build a palace that would be equal to him in status.

To date, nothing remains of the palace, except for fragments invested in other buildings (it stood from 1538 to 1682).

Ninth place in the list of the most famous palaces in the world is Nero's Golden House - a palace and park complex that belonged to the Roman emperor Nero. This is one of the largest urban residences of monarchs ever built in Europe.

Alhambra

The Alhambra Palace is a famous architectural and park ensemble located in the city of Granada in southern Spain, served as a residence for the Muslim Nasrid dynasty. The palace was built in typical Moorish style and decorated with intricate stonework.

The Winter Palace is located in the city of St. Petersburg, was the official winter residence of Russian emperors. The palace has 1084 rooms, 1945 windows, 117 stairs (including secret ones). The height of the Winter Palace is 23.5 meters. It is interesting that in the basements and premises of the State Hermitage about 50 cats are officially serving.

Blenheim Palace is the family estate of the Dukes of Marlborough, built in 1705-1724. It is one of the largest palace and park ensembles in England. Located on the outskirts of Woodstock in Oxfordshire. In the walls of the palace in 1874, a descendant of the duke, Winston Churchill, was born. Today, the 11th Duke of Marlborough and his family occupy the eastern wing of the palace complex.

Potala

Potala Palace - royal palace and Buddhist temple complex, located in the city of Lhasa in Tibet, was the traditional residence of the Dalai Lama. Considered the tallest palace in the world. The total area of ​​the palace complex is 360 thousand square meters. At present, the Potala is a "synthesis" of two palaces built in different time. Today the palace is the most popular tourist place in Tibet.

In fourth place in the ranking of the most famous and incredible palaces in the world is Imperial Palace, which is the main and official residence of the Japanese emperors. The total area of ​​this castle, together with the gardens, is 7.41 square meters. km. Although it is perhaps the least impressive palace on this list, which only has two floors, it is worth more than the cost of the entire state of California in the US.

Schönbrunn Palace is located in the western part of the city of Vienna, Austria. The palace has 1441 rooms, of which only 40 are open to tourists. On the territory there are gardens with labyrinths more than one and a half kilometers long, as well as the oldest zoo in the world.

When Mozart was six years old, he played for the Empress Maria Theresa in the "Hall of Mirrors" of this castle.

For five hundred years, the Forbidden City served as a residence for many Chinese emperors. It is located in the heart of Beijing and is the largest surviving palace complex in the world - 720 thousand sq. m. (almost twice the size of the Vatican). IN forbidden city there are 8707 rooms (according to legend - 9999).

Versailles

Versailles is considered the most famous palace in the world. This is a palace and park ensemble located a short drive from Paris, France. The famous palace was originally built as hunting lodge for King Louis XIII. But since 1661, the "sun king" wanted to expand the palace in order to use it as his permanent residence. The palace survived the French Revolution and today is one of the most popular attractions in the country.

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