Binnenhof – Wikipedia

The Courtyard (Dutch, literally “internal courtyard”) is an architectural complex located at the Hague, which since 1446 has been home to the meetings of the General States, the Dutch parliament, and therefore the center of the political life of the country for many centuries.

Origins [ change | Modifica Wikitesto ]

The place where the Binnenhof was located today was originally a dune that protruded from a marshy area; Like most of the Dutch territory. There was a mastio, which was purchased by Count Fiorenzo IV of Holland in 1229 ^[first] To adapt it to its residence, in adjacent to the small lake then called Hofvijver O ‘Stagno della Corte’. At the time the Roll room , the oldest part preserved today which still has a Romanesque flavor ^[2] .

The Binnenhof Castle [ change | Modifica Wikitesto ]

With Guglielmo II of Holland, son of Fiorenzo IV, he had the real development of the building. At first a wall and pitched surrounded the complex making it an island; Then he began in expanding the castle by fenced the areas around it. From the tin to the north, the Buitenhof , “External courtyard”, with the Gateway , which became the fortified port of access, to the west; and the language of land that separated it from Say South.
Spui was a canal that connected the city to neighbor Delft. Thus were created those fences and courtyards that conferred the name to the complex itself: Courtyard , “Internal courtyard”, the building that arrived to date, which developed over the centuries.

Between 1248 and 1280 they were built in Gothic forms the Racing room , “Sala dei Cavalieri”, which developed from the eastern side of Rolzaal, and the Chapel , “Court chapel”, which stands on the south side, along the pond. On the right and left of the Cavalieri room, perpendicularly, a wall was erected that divides the space in front and behind the building. At the end of the wall towards Hofvijver, it is the court chapel with the next Knight’s house , “Casa dei Cavalieri”, capable of hosting the knights on the visit; On the south side there were the kitchens and therefore the Kitchen gate . On the back, towards the east, where today is Mauritshuis, there was another door that through a small bridge gave access to the garden and orchard.

Presumably, the castle was completed during the kingdom of the son of William II, Fiorenzo V of Holland; However, the Holland accounts stayed there only for short periods. Their successors, Hainaut’s accounts lived here only temporarily, but expanded the castle with new buildings. Some members of Wittelsbach reported their residence in the castle, especially Alberto I of Bavaria lived there for a long time, increasing their size and closing the courtyard with buildings.

Dutch parliament [ change | Modifica Wikitesto ]

When in 1432 the County of Holland became part Duchy of Burgundy, the Binnenhof was abandoned, but later part of the complex became a residence of the States of Holland, governors of the county. With the act of abjuration of 26 July 1581, the deposition of Philip II of Spain as a count of Holland and the proclamation of the Republic of the seven united provinces, the Ridderzaal became public and business space.
In 1584, with the StateLder Maurizio of Nassau la Ridderzaal was destined for the sessions of the new general states of the Republic of the seven united provinces. With Maurizio the Binnenhof saw the beginning of a gradual transformation of the castle into a parliamentary palace. It starts with the construction of the baroque access doors around 1620, the porticoed buildings and continue with the preparation of precious internal rooms, among which the Sala delle Treue , work in the Louis XIV style performed in 1697 based on a design by Daniel Marot. The transformation phase ends only in the late 18th century with the reconstruction of the South wing under Guglielmo V d’Orange-Nassau and the realization of the splendid neo-Gothic Fountain by Pierre Cuypers.

Modern history [ change | Modifica Wikitesto ]

After the creation of the Kingdom of Holland, King Luigi Bonaparte transferred the government to Amsterdam and the Binnenhof was abandoned and risked being demolished.

When the Netherlands had independence from the French Empire, the government returned to the Binnenhof; But in 1848 a new constitution established a parliamentary monarchy and the new general states, which obtained more power from the king, decided to break down the old power symbolically demolishing the old government buildings. However, the locals opposed strongly, moved by the awareness of the historical value of the place, and managed to save the complex.

A large modern building on the southern side of the Binnenhof has been hosting the 150 members of the Tweede Kamer, the lower chamber of the Parliament of primary political importance since 1992.
In Ridderzaal the monarch holds the annual speech of the throne on the occasion of Prinsjesdag. One of the towers, simply called The Torentje (“La Torretta”; immediately next to the Mauritshuis Museum), is the seat of the Prime Minister’s Office since 1982.