Situated on the west side of Dam Square, the Royal Palace of Amsterdam in Amsterdam is one of three palaces in the Netherlands which are at the disposal of the monarch by Act of Parliament. The sandstone of yellowish hue has darkened considerably in the course of time. In the rear of the building is a 6-metre-tall statue of Atlas carrying the Globe, symbolising the worldwide extent of 17th-century Dutch commerce and interests. The large domed cupola is topped by a weather vane in the form of a cog ship, a symbol of Amsterdam. Just underneath the dome, there are a few windows, from where one could see the ships arrive and leave the harbour.
The structure was built as the Town Hall of the City of Amsterdam during the Dutch Golden Age in the 17th century. The main architect, Jacob van Campen, was inspired by the Antwerp Town Hall. It was opened in 1655, being claimed as the largest administrative building in Europe. After the patriot revolution which swept the House of Orange from power a decade earlier, the new Batavian Republic was forced to accept Louis Napoleon, brother of Napoleon Bonaparte, as King Louis I of Holland in 1806. After holding his court at The Hague and Utrecht, Louis Napoleon moved to Amsterdam, and converted the Town Hall into a royal palace for himself.
About the stamp
The stamp is part of the series Dutch Icons, about which I wrote here.
References
Royal Palace of Amsterdam - Wikipedia
Sender: Marius Vasilescu
Sent from Amsterdam (North Holland / Netherlands), on 30.01.2019
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