List of palaces

From Freepedia

Contents

List of Palaces by country

Austria

Bangladesh

Benin

Bhutan

Brazil

Brunei

Bulgaria

Burma

Burundi

Cambodia

China

The English word "palace" is used to translate the Chinese word 宮 (pronounced "gōng" in Mandarin). This character represents two rooms connected (呂), under a roof (宀). Originally the character applied to any residence or mansion, but starting with the Qin Dynasty (2nd century BC) it was used only for the residence of the emperor and members of the imperial family. Chinese palaces are different from post-Renaissance European palaces in the sense that they are not made up of one building only (however big and convoluted the building may be), but are in fact huge spaces surrounded by a wall and containing large separated halls (殿 diàn) for ceremonies and official business, as well as smaller buildings, galleries, courtyards, gardens, and outbuildings, more like the Roman or Carolingian palatium.

List of imperial palaces, in chronological order:

Image:Forbidden City1.JPG

Apart from the main imperial palace, Chinese dynasties also had several other imperial palaces in the capital city where the empress, crown prince, or other members of the imperial family dwelled. There also existed palaces outside of the capital city called "away palaces" (離宮) where the emperors resided when traveling. The habit also developed of building garden estates in the countryside surrounding the capital city, where the emperors retired at times to get away from the rigid etiquette of the imperial palace, or simply to escape from the summer heat inside their capital. This practice reached a zenith with the Qing Dynasty, whose emperors built the fabulous Imperial Gardens (御園), now known in China as the Gardens of Perfect Brightness (圓明園), and better known in English as the Old Summer Palace. The emperors of the Qing Dynasty resided and worked in the Imperial Gardens, 8km/5 miles outside of the walls of Beijing, the Forbidden City inside Beijing being used only for formal ceremonies.

These gardens were made up of three gardens: the Garden of Perfect Brightness proper, the Garden of Eternal Spring (長春園), and the Elegant Spring Garden (綺春園); they covered a huge area of 3.5 km² (865 acres), almost 5 times the size of the Forbidden City, and 8 times the size of the Vatican City. comprising hundreds of halls, pavilions, temples, galleries, gardens, lakes, etc. Several famous landscapes of southern China had been reproduced in the Imperial Gardens, hundreds of invaluable Chinese art masterpieces and antiquities were stored in the halls, making the Imperial Gardens one of the largest museum in the world. Some unique copies of literary work and compilations were also stored inside the Imperial Gardens. In 1860, during the Second Opium War, the British and French expeditionary forces looted the Old Summer Palace. Then on October 18, 1860, in order to "punish" the imperial court, which had refused to allow Western embassies inside Beijing, the British general Lord Elgin- with protestations from the French - purposely ordered to set fire to the huge complex which burned to the ground. It took 3500 British troops to set the entire place ablaze and took three whole days to burn. The burning of the Gardens of Perfect Brightness is still a very sensitive issue in China today.

Following this cultural catastrophe, the imperial court was forced to relocate to the old and austere Forbidden City where it stayed until 1924, when the Last Emperor was expelled by a republican army. Empress dowager Cixi (慈禧太后) built the Summer Palace (頤和園 - "The Garden of Nurtured Harmony") near the Old Summer Palace, but on a much smaller scale than the Old Summer Palace. There are currently some projects in China to rebuild the Imperial Gardens, but this appears as a colossal undertaking, and no rebuilding has started yet.

Czech Republic

Denmark

See List of castles and palaces in Denmark for full list.

Egypt

England

Image:Buckingham Palace, London, England, 24Jan04.jpg

Ethiopia

  • Jubilee Palace (National Palace) - Seat of the President, former imperial palace

France

Germany

German has two contrasting words, parallel to French usage: Schloss which connotes a seat that is enclosed by walls, a fastness or keep, and Palast, a more conscious borrowing, with the usual connotations of splendor. The former Holy Roman Empire, a congeries of independent territories, is filled with residences that were seats of government and had every right to be called "palace." Even the Socialist government of the former East Germany met in the Palast der Republik (built in 1976).

Image:Schloss Charlottenburg.jpg

Ghana

Hawai'i

Image:Iolanipalacehonolulu.jpg

India

Image:CastleAgraFort.jpg
Image:Raj.jpg
Image:Mysore-palace-main-gate-lit.jpg
Image:Umaid bhawan palace jodhpur.jpg

Indonesia

Image:Indonesia-Pagaruvung Palace.jpg

Iran

Italy

Image:Ca' Rezzonico.jpg

Japan

Image:JapanTokyoNijubashi.jpg


Korea

from Goguryeo Dynasty:

from Baekje Dynasty:

from Shilla Dynasty:

from Parhae Dynasty:

from Taebong Dynasty:

from Goryeo Dynasty:

Image:Korea south seoul deoksugung palace.jpg

from Joseon Dynasty:

Laos

Malaysia

Malta

Mexico

Monaco

Mongolia

The Netherlands

Norway

Philippines

Poland

Image:Warsaw palace.jpg

Portugal

Romania

Russia

Image:Peterhof cascade 2048px.jpg

Rwanda

Scotland

Image:Am linlithgow palace north west.jpg

Serbia

Sweden

Spain

Image:Palacio-real-de-madrid.jpg

Slovakia

Thailand

Image:Dsc04099.jpg

Tibet

Turkey

In Turkish, a palace is a Sarayı.

Ukraine

United States

Contrast: White House

Vatican

Venezuela

Vietnam

List of non-residential Palaces

Image:Belarus Minsk Palace of the Republic.jpg

Some large impressive buildings which were not meant to be residences, but are nonetheless called palaces, include:

Note, too, the French use of the word palais in such constructions as palais des congrès (convention centre) and palais de justice (courthouse).

See also

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