Third floor Royal Palace temporarily open to the public

The third floor of the Royal Palace in Amsterdam will be open to the public next summer. For the exhibition "In vol ornaat", visitors are allowed to look around in the large and the small Court Martial Chambers. Never before were visitors granted access to the third floor of the palace, according to a spokesperson Tuesday. The Court Martial Chambers housed the Amsterdam militia in the 18th century, when the palace still served as town hall of Amsterdam. The halls were then decorated with 18 large paintings. These were impressive paintings, of which Rembrandt's Night Watch is the best known. Sterrenhemeltapijt_in_Burgerzaal_Koninklijk_Paleis_op_de_Dam
Oerlemans Van Reeken Studio
archief Ria van Eyk The world-famous painting was reduced in size in the small Court Martial Chamber, to fit between two doors. It is here that The Night Watch was cut to the size as we know it as it hangs in the Rijksmuseum. After two centuries, the paintings will be reunited in a 'historical reconstruction' in the Court Martial Rooms. In some cases the original works, in other cases the palace chose replicas or projections. The monumental building on the Dam Square is one of the palaces the Royal Family uses for state banquets, accommodating foreign guests, and official receptions. Outside the royal moments the ground floor and the first floor are open to visitors.