View source for Palace

{{short description|Grand residence, especially a royal or episcopal residence}}
{{other uses|Palace (disambiguation)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2019}}
A '''palace''' is a large residence, often serving as a royal residence or the home for a [[head of state]] or another high-ranking dignitary, such as a [[bishop]] or [[archbishop]].<ref name="AHD"/> The word is derived from the [[Latin]] name palātium, for [[Palatine Hill]] in Rome which housed the [[Roman Empire|Imperial]] residences.<ref name="AHD"/>

Most European languages have a version of the term (''palats'', ''palais'', ''palazzo'', ''palacio'', etc.) and many use it to describe a broader range of buildings than English. In many parts of Europe, the equivalent term is also applied to large private houses in cities, especially of the [[aristocracy]]. It is also used for some large official buildings that have never had a residential function; for example in French-speaking countries ''Palais de Justice'' is the usual name of important courthouses.  Many historic palaces such as parliaments, museums, hotels, or office buildings are now put to other uses. The word is also sometimes used to describe an elaborate building used for public entertainment or exhibitions<ref name="AHD"/> such as a [[movie palace]].

A palace is typically distinguished from a [[castle]] in that the latter is [[fortified]] or has the style of a fortification, whereas a palace does not.

==Etymology==
[[File:0 Domus Augustana (1).JPG|thumb|right|[[Domus Augustana]] of [[Palatine Hill]] in [[Rome]], [[Italy]], the origin of the term "palace"]]
[[File:Monasterio de El Escorial en Madrid.jpg|thumb|The [[El Escorial|Royal Site of San Lorenzo de El Escorial]], in [[Spain]], is a Renaissance complex that has functioned as a royal palace, monastery, basilica, pantheon, library, museum, university and hospital.]]
[[File:Musei Capitolini 20150812.jpg|thumb|[[Piazza del Campidoglio|Palazzo Senatorio]], seat of the municipality of [[Rome]], [[Italy]]. It has been a [[town hall]] since 1144, making it the oldest town hall in the world.<ref name="Falconi">{{cite book|first=Fabrizio |last=Falconi |year=2015 |title=Roma segreta e misteriosa|publisher=Newton Compton Editori |isbn=9788854188075 |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=rgrkCgAAQBAJ| access-date=19 August 2019 |language=it}}</ref>]]
The word ''palace'' comes from [[Old French]] ''palais'' (imperial residence), from [[Latin]] ''[[Palatine Hill|Palātium]]'', the name of one of the [[seven hills of Rome]].<ref name="AHD">{{cite book|title=American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language|publisher=Houghton Mifflin Company|year=2000|isbn=0-618-08230-1|edition=4th|location=Boston}}</ref> The original "palaces" on the Palatine Hill were the seat of the imperial power. At the same time, the "capitol" on the [[Capitoline Hill]] was the religious nucleus of Rome. Long after the city grew to the seven hills, the Palatine remained a desirable [[residential area]]. Roman emperor Caesar [[Augustus]] lived there in a purposely modest house only set apart from his neighbours by the two laurel trees planted to flank the front door as a sign of [[Roman triumph|triumph]] granted by the [[Roman Senate|Senate]]. His descendants, especially [[Nero]] with his "[[Domus Aurea]]" (the Golden House), enlarged the building and its grounds over and over until it took up the hilltop. The word ''Palātium'' came to mean the residence of the emperor rather than the [[neighbourhood]] on top of the hill.{{Citation needed|date=September 2024}}

''Palace'', meaning "government", can be recognized in a remark of [[Paul the Deacon]], writing {{circa|790 AD}} and describing events of the 660s: "When Grimuald set out for Beneventum, he entrusted his palace to Lupus" (''[[Historia Langobardorum]]'', V.xvii). At the same time, [[Charlemagne]] was consciously reviving the Roman expression in his "[[Palace of Aachen|palace]]" at [[Aachen]], of which only his [[chapel]] remains. In the 9th century, the "palace" indicated the government's housing too, and Charlemagne constantly traveled, building fourteen. In the early Middle Ages, the ''[[palas]]'' was usually that part of an imperial palace (or ''[[Kaiserpfalz]]'') that housed the [[Great Hall]], where affairs of state were conducted; continued to be used as the seat of government in some [[Germany|German]] cities. In the [[Holy Roman Empire]], the powerful independent [[Prince-elector|Electors]] came to be housed in palaces (''Paläste''). This has been used as evidence that power was widely distributed in the Empire; as in more centralized [[monarchy|monarchies]], only the monarch's residence would be a ''palace''.{{Citation needed|date=September 2024}}

In modern times, archaeologists and historians have applied the term to large structures that housed combined rulers, courts, and bureaucracy in "palace cultures". In informal usage, the term "palace" can be extended to a grand residence.{{Citation needed|date=September 2024}}

== Ancient palaces ==
The [[Minoan civilization|Minoans]] were among the first in human history to construct what can truly be considered palaces. The earliest known example in the architectural sense—a large, organized complex serving political, economic, religious, and administrative functions—is the [[Knossos|Palace of Knossos]] on the [[Crete|island of Crete]], built by the Minoan civilization around 2000 BC, nearly 4,000 years ago. <ref>{{Cite book |last1=Bury |first1=J. B. |title=A history of Greece to the death of Alexander the Great |last2=Meiggs |first2=Russell |date=1975 |publisher=Macmillan |isbn=978-0-333-15492-2 |edition=4th |location=London}}</ref>[[File:Persepolis - Tachara 01.jpg|thumb|right|Palace of Darius I in [[Persepolis]], the imperial capital of [[Persian Empire|Persia]]]]
Early ancient palaces include the [[Assyria]]n palaces at [[Nimrud]] and [[Nineveh]] and the [[History of Iran|Persian]] palaces at [[Persepolis]] and [[Susa]].<ref name="MWCE">{{cite book|title=Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Encyclopedia|publisher=Merriam-Webster|location=Springfield, MA|year=2000|isbn=0-87779-017-5}}</ref>{{Better source needed|reason=It's a dictionary, not a work of historical scholarship!|date=October 2023}} The [[Minoan civilization|Minoans]] built complexes referred to in modern times as [[Minoan palaces]], though scholars now generally do not think they functioned as royal residences (or that there was royalty for them to house).<ref name=SchoepHandbook>{{cite encyclopedia|last=Schoep|first=Ilse|year=2012|title=Crete|editor-last=Cline|editor-first=Eric|encyclopedia=The Oxford Handbook of the Bronze Age Aegean |pages=113–125 |publisher=Oxford University Press |doi=10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199873609.013.0008|isbn=978-0199873609}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=Architecture of Minoan Crete: Constructing Identity in the Aegean Bronze Age|first=John C.|last=McEnroe | location=Austin | publisher=University of Texas Press|year=2010| page=viii}}</ref>

[[File:A lower view of the interior.jpg|thumb|[[Tiryns]] palace, [[Argolis]], [[Greece]]]]
The best examples of the Bronze Age Greece palace are seen in the excavations at [[Mycenae]], [[Tiryns]] and [[Pylos]].{{according to whom|date=September 2024}} The fact that these were administrative centers is shown by the records found there. They were ranged around a group of courtyards, each opening upon several rooms of different dimensions, such as storerooms and workshops, as well as reception halls and living quarters, each opening upon several rooms of different dimensions, such as storerooms, workshops, and reception halls. The heart of the palace was the [[megaron]]. This was the throne room, laid around a circular hearth surrounded by four columns, the throne generally found on the right-hand side upon entering the room. The staircases in the palace of [[Pylos]] indicate palaces had two stories. Located on the top floor were the private quarters of the royal family and some storerooms. These palaces have yielded a wealth of artifacts and fragmentary frescoes.{{Citation needed|date=September 2024}}

The [[Palace of Domitian]] in Rome is the overall name given to the complex of palaces that were the primary residence in Rome of the Roman emperors from the late 1st century to the 5th.  Some sculptures and decorative elements have been excavated. The [[Domus Aurea]] was a different palace, begun by [[Nero]], where excavations from the Renaissance onwards have discovered remarkably well-preserved paintings in levels now below ground.{{Citation needed|date=September 2024}}

[[Diocletian's Palace]] in [[Split, Croatia]] was ready for occupation in 305 AD and is much the most significant ancient survival, having been turned in the [[Middle Ages]] into a fortified town; it still houses many people and businesses.{{Citation needed|date=September 2024}}

Palaces in East Asia, such as the imperial palaces of Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Thailand, and Indonesia, and large wooden structures in China's [[Forbidden City]], consist of many low pavilions surrounded by vast, walled gardens in contrast to the single building palaces of [[Medieval]] Western Europe.<ref name="MWCE" /> Palaces were also built by [[post-classical]] African kingdoms such as the [[Ashanti Empire]].<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QQgwAAAAYAAJ|page=291|title=The Monthly Review, Or, Literary Journal|year=1819}}</ref> Before its destruction during the [[Anglo-Ashanti wars|Third Anglo-Ashanti War]], the [[Ashanti Empire|Ashanti]] royal palace at [[Kumasi]], Ghana was described by English explorers [[Thomas Edward Bowdich]] and [[Winwood Reade]] as "an immense building of a variety of oblong courts and regular squares."<ref>{{cite magazine |first=Thomas Edward |last=Bowdich |authorlink=Thomas Edward Bowdich |magazine=[[The Monthly Review]] |volume=XC |title=Mission from the Cape Coast Castle to Ashantee |date=September–December 1819 |publisher=J. Porter |location=London |page=291 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QQgwAAAAYAAJ&q=entabletures&pg=RA2-PT2}}</ref>

== Medieval palaces ==
{{multiple image
 | total_width = 360
 | image1 = Avignon city 2017 1.jpg
 | alt1 = 
 | image2 = Firenze Palazzo della Signoria, better known as the Palazzo Vecchio.jpg
 | alt2 = 
 | footer = [[Palais des Papes]] in [[Avignon]], France (left) and [[Palazzo Vecchio]] in [[Florence]], Italy (right) are two examples of medieval palaces.
}}

European palaces belonging to rulers were often large and grand, however, very few have survived to represent anything like their original medieval condition; many having been abandoned, burned down, demolished, or rebuilt.{{Citation needed|date=September 2024}} The [[Palais des Papes]] in [[Avignon]], France, is probably the best prominent example,{{according to whom|date=September 2024}} essentially a creation of 1252 to 1379, and little has changed since 1433,{{Citation needed|date=September 2024}} which marked the end of the [[Avignon Papacy]] and subsequent schisms.

Very little of the medieval [[Louvre Palace]], one of the most magnificent, has survived above ground. Similar fates befell the main palaces of the [[Byzantine Empire]] in [[Constantinople]]: the [[Great Palace of Constantinople]], [[Boukoleon Palace]], and [[Palace of Blachernae]].{{Citation needed|date=September 2024}}  The [[Palace of the Porphyrogenitus]], a part of the Palace of Blachernae, has significant remains and now houses a museum.

==Americas==
[[File:Circulo Militar 5821.jpg|thumb|[[Paz Palace|Palacio Paz]] in [[Buenos Aires]], [[Argentina]]]]
[[File:Palacio San Martín.jpg|thumb|[[San Martín Palace|Palacio San Martín]] in [[Buenos Aires]], [[Argentina]]]]
[[File:Palacio Sans Souci, San Fernando 01.jpg|thumb|[[:es:Palacio_Sans_Souci_(San_Fernando)|Palacio Sans Souci]] in [[San Fernando, Buenos Aires|San Fernando]], [[Argentina]]]]

=== Argentina ===
All major cities in [[Argentina]] have prominent palaces due to the great economic growth the country went through in the late 19th century and early 20th century. In that time Argentina was one of the largest exporters of grain, meat, wool and leather in the world. The country's new elite was eager to show their wealth to the world, which is the reason they often hired european architects and in many cases, even imported all the construction materials needed. Some of those palaces are still residential and many others have become hotels, museums and embassies. Some examples of this are [[Palacio Duhau - Park Hyatt Buenos Aires|Palacio Duhau]], [[:es:Palacio_Álzaga_Unzué|Palacio Álzaga Unzué]], [[Bosch Palace|Palacio Bosch]], [[Paz Palace|Palacio Paz]] and [[San Martín Palace|Palacio San Martín]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=1998-11-13 |title=Palacios porteños |url=https://www.lanacion.com.ar/lifestyle/palacios-portenos-nid195440/ |access-date=2025-05-31 |website=LA NACION |language=es}}</ref>

Also, [[President of Argentina|President]] [[Domingo Faustino Sarmiento]] claimed that Argentine schools should be palaces because that would encourage children and teenagers to go to school. For that reason many public schools are opulent and are called "escuelas palacio".<ref>{{Cite web |last=Mejía |first=Virginia |date=2016-05-04 |title=Escuelas palacio: un privilegio del pasado porteño que aún subsiste |url=https://www.lanacion.com.ar/educacion/escuelas-palacio-un-privilegio-del-pasado-porteno-que-aun-subsiste-nid1895164/ |access-date=2025-05-31 |website=LA NACION |language=es}}</ref> Some examples of this are [[Colegio Nacional de Buenos Aires]], [[Rafael Hernández National College|Colegio Nacional Rafael Hernández]], [[Escuela Superior de Comercio Carlos Pellegrini]], [[:es:Colegio_Mariano_Moreno|Colegio Mariano Moreno]] and [[:es:Escuela_Normal_1_de_Buenos_Aires|Escuela Normal Sáenz Peña]].

Other examples of government buildings in Argentina that are considered palaces are [[Pizzurno Palace|Palacio Pizzurno]], [[Libertad Palace|Correo Central]], [[Palacio de Aguas Corrientes]] and [[Palace of Justice of the Argentine Nation|Palacio de Justicia de la Nación]].

===Brazil===
[[File:Fachada do Palácio do Planalto - 49728086377.jpg|thumb|The [[Palácio do Planalto|Planalto Palace]], in [[Brasília]], Brazil|left]]
The Brazilian new capital, [[Brasília]], hosts modern palaces, most designed by the city's architect [[Oscar Niemeyer]]. The [[Palácio da Alvorada|Alvorada Palace]] is the [[official residence]] of [[President of Brazil|Brazil's president]]. The [[Palácio do Planalto|Planalto Palace]] is the official workplace. The [[Palácio do Jaburu|Jaburu Palace]] is the official residence of [[Vice President of Brazil|Brazil's vice-president]]. Also [[Rio de Janeiro]], the former capital of the [[Portuguese Empire]] and the [[Empire of Brazil]], houses numerous royal and imperial palaces as the [[Palácio de São Cristóvão|Imperial Palace of São Cristóvão]], former official residence of the [[Emperor of Brazil|Brazil's emperors]], the [[Paço Imperial]], its official workplace and the [[Guanabara Palace]], former residence of [[Isabel, Princess Imperial of Brazil]] besides palaces of the nobility and aristocracy. The city of [[Petropolis]], in the state of Rio de Janeiro, is mainly known for its palaces of the imperial period, such as the [[Museu Imperial|Petrópolis Palace]] and the [[Palácio do Grão-Pará|Grão-Pará Palace]].

===Canada===
[[File:Ottawa - Rideau Hall.JPG|thumb|[[Rideau Hall]] is one of the official residences for the [[Monarchy of Canada|Canadian monarchy]].]]
{{main|Government Houses in Canada}}
In [[Canada]], [[Government House]] is a title given to the official residences of the [[Monarchy of Canada|Canadian monarchy]] and various [[Viceroy#Commonwealth realms|viceroys]] (the [[Governor General of Canada|governors general]] and the [[Lieutenant governor (Canada)|lieutenant governors]]). Though not universal, in most cases, the title is also the building's sole name; for example, the sovereign's and governor general's principal residence in Ottawa is known as Government House only in formal contexts, being more generally referred to as [[Rideau Hall]]. Government House is an inherited custom from the British Empire, where there were and are many government houses.

Rideau Hall is, since 1867, the official residence in [[Ottawa]] of both the Canadian monarch and his or her representative, the governor general of Canada, and has been described as "Canada's house". It stands in Canada's capital on a {{convert|36|ha|adj=on}} estate at 1 [[Sussex Drive]], with the main building consisting of approximately 175 rooms across {{cvt|9,500|m2}}, and 27 outbuildings around the grounds. While the equivalent structure in many countries has a prominent, central place in the national capital, Rideau Hall's site is relatively unobtrusive within Ottawa, giving it more of the character of a private home.

Along with Rideau Hall, the [[Citadelle of Quebec]], also known as La Citadelle, is an active military installation and official residence of the Canadian monarch and the governor general. It is located atop [[Cap Diamant]], adjoining the [[Plains of Abraham]] in [[Quebec City]], [[Quebec]]. The citadel is the oldest military building in Canada and forms part of the fortifications of Quebec City, which is one of only two cities in North America still surrounded by fortifications. The fortress is located within the historic district of [[Old Québec]], designated a World Heritage Site in 1985.

In addition to the federal residences, most provinces maintain a place for the Canadian monarch and their provincial viceroys and lieutenant governors. There is no government house for the lieutenant governors of [[Lieutenant Governor of Ontario|Ontario]] ([[Government House (Ontario)#Fourth Government House (Chorley Park)|repurposed in 1937 and demolished in 1961]]), [[Lieutenant Governor of Quebec|Quebec]] ([[Government House (Quebec)|destroyed by fire in 1966]]), or [[Lieutenant Governor of Alberta|Alberta]] ([[Government House (Alberta)|closed in 1938 and repurchased and repurposed in 1964]]).

===Mexico===
[[File:Wikimania 2015 15.07.2015 17-00-11.JPG|thumb|right|The ''[[National Palace (Mexico)|Palacio Nacional]]'', or National Palace in [[Mexico City]], built as the residence of the [[List of viceroys of New Spain|viceroys of New Spain]] in 1563]]
The capital of [[Mexico]], [[Mexico City]], is traditionally nicknamed the "City of Palaces"; a nickname usually attributed to [[Alexander von Humboldt]] after he visited the city in the late 18th century and early 19th century, but initially coined by Charles Latrobe, an English traveler who visited Mexico City in 1834 and "got the feeling of living a dream<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.nexos.com.mx/?p=24691|title=La Ciudad de los Palacios|access-date=2017-09-01|language=es-ES|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170901070923/http://www.nexos.com.mx/?p=24691|archive-date=1 September 2017|df=dmy-all}}</ref>".

In Central Mexico, the [[Aztec]] emperors built many palaces in the capital of their empire, [[Tenochtitlan]] (modern-day Mexico City), some of which may still be seen. On observing the great city [[Hernán Cortés]] wrote, "There are, in all districts of this great city, many temples or palaces... They are all magnificent buildings. Amongst these temples is one, the principal one, whose great size and magnificence no human tongue could describe,... All around this wall are exquisite quarters with huge rooms and corridors. There are as many as forty towers, all of which are so high that in the case of the largest, there are fifty steps leading up to the main part of it, and the most important of these towers is higher than that of the cathedral of Seville..."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mexicocity.com.mx/anc_city.html|title=Mexico-Tenochtitlan: Ancient City|url-status=usurped|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080611101409/http://www.mexicocity.com.mx/anc_city.html|archive-date=11 June 2008|df=dmy-all}}</ref>

In the [[Yucatan]], a well-preserved [[Mayan civilization|Mayan]] palace with a unique four-storey observation tower stands at the [[Palenque]] site, from where [[Kʼinich Janaabʼ Pakal|Pakal]] reigned over the city-state.

The [[National Palace (Mexico)|National Palace]], or ''Palacio Nacional'', located in Mexico City's main square, the [[Plaza de la Constitución]] (El Zócalo), first built in 1563, is in the heart of the Mexican capital. In 1821, the palace was given its current name, and the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of government were housed in the palace; the latter two branches would eventually reside elsewhere. During the [[Second Mexican Empire]], its name was changed, for a time, to the Imperial Palace. The National Palace continues to be the official seat of the executive authority, though it is no longer the president's official residence.

Also in Mexico City is the ''Castillo de Chapultepec'', or [[Chapultepec Castle]], located in the middle of [[Chapultepec Park]], which currently houses the Mexican [[Museo Nacional de Historia|National Museum of History]]. It is the only castle, or palace, in [[North America]] that was occupied by sovereigns – Emperor [[Maximilian I of Mexico]], a member of the [[House of Habsburg]] and his consort, Empress [[Charlotte of Belgium|Carlota of Mexico]], daughter of [[Leopold I of Belgium]]. The palace features many ''objets d'art'' ranging from gifts of [[Napoleon III of France|Napoleon III]] to paintings by [[Franz Xaver Winterhalter]] and Mexican painter Santiago Rebull.

===United States===
{{See also|List of Palaces|List of largest houses in the United States}}
[[File:Hearst Castle.jpg|thumb|right|[[Hearst Castle]] in [[California]]]]
Palaces in the United States include the [[White House]], the [[official residence]] of the [[President of the United States|president]], and the official residences of many governors and [[Roman Catholic]] [[bishops]]. Some palaces of former heads of state or their representatives, such as English and Spanish royal governors and the [[Hawaiian Kingdom|Hawaiian royal family]], still exist.

Examples include: [[ʻIolani Palace]] and [[Hānaiakamalama]], the former homes of the [[Hawaiian monarchy|Hawaiian monarchs]] in [[Honolulu]]; [[Hulihee Palace]] in [[Kailua, Hawaii County, Hawaii|Kailua-Kona, Hawaii]]; The [[Governor's Palace (Williamsburg, Virginia)|Governor's Palace]] in [[Williamsburg, Virginia|Williamsburg]], a modern reconstruction of the official residence of the [[Colonial government in the Thirteen Colonies|royal governor]]s of the [[Colony of Virginia]]; [[Tryon Palace]] in [[New Bern, North Carolina|New Bern]], a modern reconstruction of the historical colonial governors' palace of the [[Province of North Carolina]]; and the [[Palace of the Governors]] in [[Santa Fe, New Mexico]] as well as the [[Spanish Governor's Palace]] in [[San Antonio]], Texas, which were residences of both Spanish and Mexican governors.

There are many private buildings or [[mansion]]s in the United States, which, though not called "palaces", have the grandeur typical of a palace, and have been used as residences. [[Hearst Castle]] and the [[Biltmore Estate]] are examples.

===Uruguay===
The [[Palacio Legislativo (Uruguay)|Palacio Legislativo]] (Legislative Palace) is the house of the [[General Assembly of Uruguay|Uruguayan Parliament]].

===Venezuela===
The [[Miraflores Palace|Palacio de Miraflores]] is the setting for the offices of the president of the country.

==Africa==

===Ethiopia===
Located in Addis Ababa, the [[Menelik Palace]] is a palatial compound that is currently serving as the residence of the [[prime minister of Ethiopia]]. The compound, while containing palaces and residences also contains a few churches, tombs and monasteries. Previously, it served as the seat of the [[List of emperors of Ethiopia|emperors of Ethiopia]]. After a 2018 renovation, the compound opened to the public in 2019 as a part of [[Unity Park]].

===Nigeria===
[[File:Emir of Bauchi Main Palace.jpg|thumb|The [[emir]]'s palace of the [[Bauchi Emirate]], Nigeria]]
The [[Palace of Olowo of Owo|Palace of the Olowo]], [[Nigerian traditional rulers|ruler]] of the [[Yoruba people|Yoruba]] [[Owo]] clan of [[Nigeria]], is acknowledged to be the largest palace in all of Africa. It consists of more than 100 courtyards, each with a unique traditional usage.

In the [[Kano State]] of Nigeria, the [[Gidan Rumfa]] acts as the seat of the [[Kano Emirate|Emir of Kano]] since the late 15th century when it was constructed.

In [[Benin City]], the capital of the [[Edo State]], lies the current [[Royal Palace of the Oba of Benin]]. It currently houses the [[Oba of Benin]], who is the traditional ruler of the Edo people, alongside some other royals. The current palace is a reconstruction by [[Eweka II]] after the original was destroyed in 1897 by the British.

=== Rwanda ===
[[File:Rwanda Nyanza Mwami Palace.jpg|thumb|left|The original King's Palace of Nyanza, Rwanda]]
Rwanda is host to three palaces, although one of them is currently repurposed. In [[Nyanza, Rwanda|Nyanza]], the former royal capital of the Kingdom of Rwanda, are two existing palaces. The first, the traditional King's Palace, is constructed in the vernacular style and housed the [[List of kings of Rwanda|traditional ruler of Rwanda]], the Mwami. A second palace for the king exists in Nyanza, although it is constructed in the Art Deco style as opposed to the local construction style. A third palace, the Rwesero Palace, was originally constructed for [[Mutara III Rudahigwa|Mutara III]], but he died before its completion, and the building was converted into the [[Rwesero Art Museum]].

===Uganda===
The Kabakas Palace belonged to the Kingdom of [[Buganda]] and is a known landmark of the present capital [[Kampala]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://worldbulletin.dunyabulteni.net/art-culture/buganda-palace-witness-to-a-long-history-dark-days-h149107.html | title=Buganda Palace: Witness to a long history, dark days }}</ref>

==Asia==


===Afghanistan===
[[File:Queens Palace, Kabul.jpg|thumb|The ruined [[Tajbeg Palace]] in Kabul, restored in 2021]]
[[Afghanistan]]'s capital [[Kabul]] is well known for its sheer number of palaces.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://afghanistantimes.af/kabul-city-isnt-just-capital-of-afghanistan-but-of-palaces-as-well/|title=Kabul City: Isn't just capital of Afghanistan but of palaces as well – Afghanistan Times|date=15 April 2015|website=afghanistantimes.af|access-date=15 April 2018|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180122073115/http://afghanistantimes.af/kabul-city-isnt-just-capital-of-afghanistan-but-of-palaces-as-well/|archive-date=22 January 2018|df=dmy-all}}</ref> Many had been built in the 19th century but perhaps the most famous is the [[Darul Aman Palace]]. Many palaces were damaged by the civil war, including Darul Aman, but others have survived or have been rebuilt.

===Armenia===
{{multiple image
| footer            = Examples of Armenian palaces
| direction         = vertical
| align             = left
| width             = 220
| image3            = Togh's Melikian Palace, 20 Oct 2018 - 26.jpg|thumb
| alt3              = 
| caption3          = [[Tuğ|Palace]] of [[Dizak]] Meliks
| image2            = Meliqashen, Haykaz Meliq's House - panoramio.jpg|thumb
| alt2              = 
| caption2          = The [[Melik Haykaz Palace|Palace]] of Armenian Melik Haykazyan
| image1            = Dashtadem fortress 3.jpg|thumb
| alt1              = 
| caption1          = [[Dashtadem Fortress|Dashtadem Palace]]
}}
[[File:20110419 Palace Ani Turkey 1.jpg|thumb|upright|Tigran Honents Palace in [[Ani]]]]

[[Armenia]] has many palaces from its various historical periods. The [[Erebuni fortress]] in [[Yerevan]] has a grand royal palace constructed in 782 B.C. by [[Argishti I of Urartu|King Argisthi]]. The palace at Erebuni is one of the earliest examples of an [[Urartu|Urartian]] palace.<ref>{{cite book| last = Chahin| first = Mack| title = The Kingdom of Armenia| publisher =RoutledgeCurzon| location= Richmond| year = 2001| page=79| isbn =0-7007-1452-9}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/Erebuni|title=Erebuni &#124; ancient palace-fortress, Armenia|website=Encyclopedia Britannica}}</ref>

During the [[Kingdom of Armenia (antiquity)]], many palaces were constructed for the successive kings. Ruins of a royal palace can be found in the early Armenian capital of [[Yervandashat (ancient city)|Yervandashat]],<ref>{{cite web|title= 29.09.2015-Society-THE BEST GIFT FOR THE ARCHAEOLOGIST IS THE PUBLICATION OF HIS COMPILATION OF ARTICLES|url= http://eph.am/news/en/In-memory-of-Felix-Ter-Martirosyan|publisher= Yerevan State University|quote= The last monument, which he excavated, was the palace complex of Yervandashat|access-date= 21 January 2021|archive-date= 15 January 2023|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20230115135013/http://eph.am/news/en/In-memory-of-Felix-Ter-Martirosyan|url-status= dead}}</ref> which was built to serve as the seat of [[Orontid]] Armenian Kings by [[Orontes IV]]. During the period of the [[Artaxiad dynasty]] of Armenia, emperor king [[Tigranes the great]] constructed a grand [[persianate]] palace in the newly built city of [[Tigranocerta]].<ref>{{Cite web|title= Tigranocerta |url= https://www.worldhistory.org/Tigranocerta/|website=[[World History Encyclopedia]]|quote= There were also many amenities including a Greek theatre, a palace built in the Persian style outside the city walls}}</ref> The purpose of the Armenian [[Temple of Garni]] is still up for debate, however, certain scholars attest that following the Christianization of Armenia in the 4th century BC, the temple was converted into a summer palace for [[Khosrovidukht (sister of Tiridates III of Armenia)]] by the [[Arsacid dynasty of Armenia]].<ref>{{Cite web|title= Temple of Garni |url= https://www.worldhistory.org/Temple_of_Garni/|website=[[World History Encyclopedia]]|author= James Blake Wiener|quote= There remains considerable academic debate as to whether Garni functioned as a summer palace as well in Late Antiquity.}}</ref>


After the fall of the Arsacids, Armenia was ruled by a succession of aristocratic families who held the title ''[[Nakharar]]''. One of these Nakharar princes, [[Grigor Mamikonian]], built a palace in the citadel of [[Aruch]] near the [[Aruchavank]] cathedral; some walls of this palace and a unique Armenian throne made of [[tufa]] still survive today.<ref>{{cite web|title=Aruch 3: Palace-Mamikonian Palace|url= http://www.armenianheritage.org/en/monument/Aruch/247|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20170508083851/http://www.armenianheritage.org/en/monument/Aruch/247|url-status= usurped|archive-date= 8 May 2017|publisher= Ministry of Culture of Armenia}}</ref>

The medieval capital of the [[Bagratid Armenia|Bagratid kingdom of Armenia]], [[Ani]], also hosted many palaces. The first palace of Ani, constructed by the princely Armenian [[Kamsarakan]] dynasty in the seventh century, served as the most important structure of the city. Located in the main citadel, the Kamsarakan palace was used by the successive [[Bagratuni dynasty|Bagratid]] kingdom as their headquarters.<ref>{{Cite web|title=THE PALACE OF THE CITADEL|url= http://virtualani.org/citadel/palace.htm |website=virtualani.org}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title= Archaeological Site of Ani-UNESCO|url= https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1518/|website=whc.unesco.org}}</ref> In addition, Ani hosted several other palaces such as the Merchant's(Tigran Honents) Palace, one of the best surviving examples of secular [[Armenian architecture]] of that time,<ref>{{Cite web|title=The Merchant's Palace|url= http://virtualani.org/palace/index.htm |website=virtualani.org}}</ref> the Seljuk palace, and the [[Menüçehr Mosque|Manuchir Mosque]], which is said by some historians to have been a residence of Bagratid kings before being converted to a mosque.<ref>{{Cite web|title=The Empire the World Forgot|url= http://www.bbc.com/travel/story/20160309-the-empire-the-world-forgot |website=bbc.com|date= 25 February 2022 |quote= The original purpose of the mosque of Manuchihr is debated on both the Turkish and Armenian sides. Some contend that the building once served as a palace for the Armenian Bagratid dynasty and was only later converted into a mosque.}}</ref>

After the Bagratid state was conquered by the [[Byzantine Empire|Byzantines]] and then the [[Seljuk Empire|Seljuks]], Armenia was once again liberated by the royal [[Zakarids–Mkhargrdzeli|Zakarian family]] under [[Kingdom of Georgia|Georgian]] [[Queen Tamar]]. This period of [[Zakarid Armenia]] brought forth many palaces as well,<ref>{{cite web|title= Armenian Architecture|url= https://users.dcc.uchile.cl/~nbaloian/armenia/Architecture.html |publisher= University of Chile|quote= Towards the end of the 12th century and the beginning of the 13th century, two Armenian generals, Zakare and Ivan Zakarian, led Armenian and Georgian troops in liberating Northern Armenia including Shirak and Airarat. Under the new conditions, the economy prospered, and business activities, both domestic and foreign, stimulated the construction of roads, bridges, caravansaries, hostelries, palaces and various other religious and secular buildings.}}</ref> the most notable of which being [[Amberd Fortress]] and the 12th-century palace in [[Dashtadem Fortress]].<ref>{{Cite web|title= U.S.-Funded Dashtadem Cultural Preservation Project Complete|url= https://am.usembassy.gov/dashtadem-fortress/|website=am.usembassy.gov|date= 30 April 2019}}</ref> The Zakarids became vassals of the [[Mongols]], however, following their collapse, a succession of nomadic [[Turkic peoples|Turkic]] empires came to rule the region.

During the various periods of [[Ottoman Armenia|Ottoman]] and [[Iranian Armenia (1502–1828)|Iranian]] occupation following the [[Timurid Empire]], Armenia was governed by several local principalities known as [[Melik]]doms. Each Melik had their own princely palace. The most notable of which is the Palace of the [[Dizak|Dizak Melikdom]] constructed by Melik Yeganyan in [[Tuğ|Togh]] (1737). Other notable melik palaces are the Melik Ahnazar palace in [[Khnatsakh]] (16th century), the [[Melik Haykaz Palace]] in [[Hüsülü, Lachin|Melikashen]] (15th century), the Melik Kasu palace, the palace of the Melik-Barkhudaryans in [[Tegh]] (1783) and [[Halidzor Fortress]] (17th century), which served as a palace for the Melik Parsadanian family.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.raa-am.com/BOOK_4/ENGL/4_main_4_e.htm|title= Castles (Palaces) Of Meliks Of Artsakh And Siunik|author= Artak Ghulyan|date= |publisher= |access-date= |quote= The melikal palaces have mainly been the defence point, the special citadel of the residence-center, and they have also been called fortresses for this reason (Kashatagh, Kaghakategh, Mokhratagh, Horekavan, Gulatagh, Shushi).|archive-date= 13 April 2021|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20210413122746/http://www.raa-am.com/BOOK_4/ENGL/4_main_4_e.htm|url-status= dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.bvahan.com/armenianway/aw/Eng/provinces/kashatagh/kash.html|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110913091437/http://www.bvahan.com/ArmenianWay/AW/Eng/provinces/kashatagh/kash.html|url-status= usurped|archive-date= 13 September 2011|author=|date= 2001 |publisher= ArCgroup |title= Kashatagh (Lachin) province |quote= Based on the research of 1985 architect Artak Ghulian provided the first architectural description of the princely quarters. In this regard he has particularly stated that "being the continuation of traditional forms and volumes annlied in the compositional resolution of the palaces of Khachen and Vayots Dzor of the 12th-14th centuries, the planning and volume of Kashatagh castle is a link between the further development of the 17th-18th cent melik residences frequent in Karabakh and Zanghezoor". }}</ref>

===Azerbaijan===
{{unreferenced section|date=September 2018}}
{{multiple image
| footer            = The palaces of the president of Azerbaijan
| align             = left
| width             = 220
| direction         = vertical
| image1            = Azərbaycan Respublikası Prezident Aparatının binası.jpg
| alt1              = 
| caption1          = The [[Presidential Administration of Azerbaijan|Presidential Palace]]
| image2            = Gülüstan sarayı.jpg
| alt2              = 
| caption2          = [[Gulustan Palace]], [[Baku]]
| image3            = 
| alt3              = 
| caption3          = [[Zagulba|Residence of Zagulba]]
}}
[[File:Government House in Baku.jpg|thumb|The [[Government House, Baku|Government House]] in [[Baku]]]]
[[File:Palace of Happiness.JPG|thumb|upright=0.8|[[Palace of Happiness]] in [[Baku]]]]
[[Azerbaijan]] has a number of palaces which belong to different ages. For example, there are palaces from the [[Anno Domini|BC era]] and from the 12th century, like the "Goyalp" Palace of [[Eldiguzids]] Empire [[Atabeg]]{{Clarify|date=July 2023}}— located in Nakhchivan city and built in the 1130s.

[[Baku Khans' Palace]] is a complex of several houses that belonged to members of ruling family of the [[Baku Khanate]] in the 17th century. The palace complex was in ruins but has now been reconstructed as of 2018. Official Administration of State Historical-Architectural Reserve [[Icheri Sheher]] has opened the complex as a palace-museum.<ref name=laman>{{cite web|url= https://www.azernews.az/culture/166826.html|title= Inside Baku's Old City [INTERVIEW]|date= 10 July 2020|author= Laman Ismayilova|publisher=azernews.az}}</ref>

The [[Palace of Happiness]] (Azerbaijani: Səadət Sarayı), currently also called Palace of Marriage Registrations and previously called Mukhtarov Palace, is a historic building in the center of Baku, Azerbaijan, built in Neo-Gothic style in the early 19th century.

[[Shahbulag Castle|Shahbulag Castle Palace]] (Azerbaijani: Şahbulaq qalası "Spring of the Shah") is an 18th-century fortress near [[Aghdam]]. After the death of Turkic ruler [[Nadir Shah]], the territory that is today [[Azerbaijan]] split into several Caucasian khanates, one of which was the [[Karabakh Khanate]] founded by [[Panah Ali Khan]]. The first capital of the khanate was the [[Bayat Castle]], built in 1748

[[Haji Gayib's bathhouse|Haji Gayib's Palace]] is an ancient fortress construction near a coastal side of [[Icheri Sheher]]. It is located in the Baku quarter of [[Icheri Sheher]], opposite the [[Maiden Tower (Baku)|Maiden Tower]]. The history of the palace dates back to the 15th century. The Intake portal of the bathhouse is rectangular shaped

The [[Palace of Shaki Khans]] (Azerbaijani: Şəki xanlarının sarayı) in [[Shaki, Azerbaijan]], was a summer residence of Shaki Khans. It was built in 1797 by Muhammed Hasan Khan. Along with its pool and plane trees, the summer residence is the only remaining structure from the larger palatial complex inside the Sheki Khans' Fortress, which once included a winter palace, residences for the khan's family and servants' quarters. It features decorative tiles, fountains and several [[stained-glass]] windows. The exterior was decorated with dark blue, turquoise and ochre tiles in geometric patterns and the murals were coloured with [[tempera]] and were inspired by the works of [[Nizami Ganjavi]].

These are located in various regions and capital of Azerbaijan – the palace of government:
* [[Zagulba|Residence of Zagulba]] (510s) is the world's oldest presidential house and full-time residence of the [[president of Azerbaijan]] in [[Baku]].
* Bika Khanum Saray (1390–1394) Full-time residence of the [[president of Azerbaijan]] in [[Baku]].
* Bullur Palace (1740) residence of the [[president of Azerbaijan]], and [[List of Chairmen of the Supreme Majlis of Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic|chairmen of the Supreme Majlis of Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic]] in [[Sharur District]].
* Asena Palace (1804) Full-time residence of the [[president of Azerbaijan]] in [[Baku]].
* Göy Saray (Blue) (1810s) Rest residence of the [[president of Azerbaijan]] in [[Baku]]
* Palace of White Horse (1933) was the old rest palace for members of [[Political Bureau]] in [[Şəmkir|Shamkir]]
* [[Government House, Baku|Government House]] (1936) is a government building palace housing various state ministries of Azerbaijan
* [[The Office of Azerbaijan President|Administrational Palace]] (1970s)
* [[Gulustan Palace]] (1973) Full-time and feast residence of the [[president of Azerbaijan]] in [[Baku]].
* [[Mardakan|Ghazan Khan Palace]] (2006) Residence of the [[president of Azerbaijan]] in [[Baku]].
* Vahdat Presidential Summer Palace (2007) in [[Shamakhi]]
* Presidential Mountain Palace (2013) Rest residence of the president of Azerbaijan in [[Qabala]]

===Brunei===
[[Istana Nurul Iman]] is the world's largest residential palace and is the [[official residence]] of the [[sultan of Brunei]], [[Hassanal Bolkiah]], and the seat of the Brunei government.<ref>{{cite web |title=Largest Residential Palace |url=https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/largest-residential-palace |website=Guinnes World Records |access-date=9 June 2019}}</ref> The palace is located on a leafy sprawl of hills on the banks of the [[Brunei River]], a few kilometres south of [[Bandar Seri Begawan]], Brunei's capital.

=== Bangladesh ===
[[File:Ahsan Manjil 7.jpg|thumb|upright=1.35|[[Ahsan Manzil]], [[Dhaka]]]]
Most of the palaces in [[Bangladesh]] were built by the [[Zamindars of Bengal|Zamindars]] and [[Nawab]]s of [[British Bengal]]. Many magnificent palaces can be found across the country. Among the notable palaces are [[Ahsan Manzil]] (also known as Pink Palace), built by the Nawabs of Dhaka; [[Tajhat Palace]] of [[Rangpur, Bangladesh|Rangpur]]; [[Natore Palace]]; [[Puthia Rajbari]] of [[Rajshahi]]; [[Rose Garden Palace]] of [[Old Dhaka]]; [[Baliati Palace]] of [[Manikganj]]; [[Shashi Lodge]] of [[Mymensingh]]; and [[Bangabhaban|Bangabhaban (Presidential Palace)]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Zamindar Bari's in Bdsh - Bangladesh Forum - Tripadvisor|url=https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g293935-i9192-k6042642-Zamindar_Bari_s_in_Bdsh-Bangladesh.html|access-date=2020-06-22|website=www.tripadvisor.com|language=en}}</ref>

===China===
{{main|Chinese palace}}
[[File:Hall of Supreme Harmony (20241127120000).jpg|thumb|The [[Hall of Supreme Harmony]] in [[Beijing]], China]]

[[File:景山公园 (19687188164) - panorama.jpg|thumb|upright=1.35|The [[Forbidden City]] took form as a grand complex of pavilions enclosed within square walls]]

[[File:Mukden Palace drone view 5 (cropped & rotated).jpg|thumb|Drone view of the [[Mukden Palace|Shenyang Imperial Palace]]]]

A famed example of Chinese palaces is the [[Forbidden City]], the imperial palace of the Chinese Empire from the [[Ming dynasty]] (since the [[Yongle Emperor]]) to the end of the [[Qing dynasty]]. Located in [[Beijing]], it is the largest palace complex currently in existence in the world.<ref name="ForbiddenCity1">{{cite book|last1=Bhutoria|first1=Sundeep|title=China Diary|year=2019|publisher=Pan Macmillan |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dWa5DwAAQBAJ&q=forbidden+city+largest+palace&pg=PT31|isbn=9781529045284}}</ref><ref name="ForbiddenCity2">{{cite book|last1=Bushell|first1=Stephen|title=Chinese Art|year=2012|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=O2iU0EJGudQC&q=forbidden+city+largest+palace&pg=PA41|page=41|publisher=Parkstone International |isbn=9781780429243}}</ref><ref name="ForbiddenCity3">{{cite book|last1=Bandarin|first1=Francesco|last2=van Oers|first2=Ron|title=The Historic Urban Landscape: Managing Heritage in an Urban Century|year=2012|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=L6VSbUHXYzAC&q=forbidden+city+largest+palace&pg=PA17|page=17|publisher=John Wiley & Sons |isbn=9781119968092}}</ref> The palace complex exemplifies traditional [[Chinese architecture|Chinese palatial architecture]].<ref name="UNESCO">{{cite web|url=https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/439|title=UNESCO World Heritage List: Imperial Palaces of the Ming and Qing Dynasties in Beijing and Shenyang|publisher=UNESCO|access-date=4 May 2007|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070505084440/https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/439|archive-date=5 May 2007|df=dmy-all}}</ref> Another example is the [[Summer Palace]] located in the northern suburb of Beijing and the [[Mukden Palace]] in [[Shenyang]]. The [[Presidential Palace (Nanjing)|Presidential Palace]] in [[Nanjing]] and [[Museum of the Imperial Palace of Manchukuo|Imperial Palace of Manchukuo]] in [[Changchun]] display European architectural influences.

The [[Weiyang Palace]] built during the [[Han dynasty]] was the largest palace complex ever built in the world,<ref name="WeiyangPalace">{{cite book|last1=Spilsbury|first1=Louise|title=Ancient China|year=2019|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Zc9-DwAAQBAJ&q=largest+palace+ever+built+weiyang+palace&pg=PA20|page=20|publisher=Capstone |isbn=9781515725596}}</ref> but it was destroyed during the [[Tang dynasty]].

Chinese palaces are designed in regular square grids and arranged in a formal layout consisting of main buildings and a number of [[pavilion]]s enclosed within walls. Unlike massive single-structured European palaces or castles, Chinese palaces are a multitude of complexes containing several larger and smaller structures with parks and courtyards.

===India===
{{unreferenced section|date=September 2024}}
[[File:Umaid Bhawan Palace seen from Mehrangarh Fort, India set-472 (5581471404).jpg|thumb|[[Umaid Bhawan Palace]] in [[Rajasthan]]]]
[[File:Mysore_Palace_(8113480008).jpg|thumb|left|[[Amba Vilas Palace]] in [[Mysore]], [[Karnataka]].]]
[[India]] is home to many palaces and vast empires. Its history is full of numerous dynasties that have ruled over various parts of the country. While most monuments of the ancient period have been destroyed or lie in ruins, some medieval buildings have been maintained or restored to good condition. Several medieval forts and palaces still stand all over India. These are examples of the achievements of the architects and engineers of that age. The palaces of India offer an insight into the life of the royalty of the country. While some royal palaces have been maintained as museums or hotels over the last decades, some are still homes for the members of the erstwhile royal families. These forts and palaces are the largest illustrations and legacy of the princely states of India. They feature floats of flowers in grand fountains, shimmering blue water of magnificent baths and private pools, doric pillars, ornamental brackets, decorative staircases, and light streaming in through large windows. India possesses some of the most fascinating forts and palaces, a true royal retreat. It is not just a romantic longing for a royal experience, but also the search for the truly authentic Indian experience that brings thousands of heritage lovers to India's palaces.

[[Rajasthan]] has many forts and palaces that are major tourist destinations in North India. (See [[List of palaces in Rajasthan]].) The Rajputs (collective term for the rulers of the region) were known as brave soldiers who preferred to die than be taken prisoners. They were also great connoisseurs of art and brilliant builders. The most famous forts and palaces in Rajasthan are located in Chittor, Jodhpur, Jaipur, Udaipur, Saphieree, Amber and Nahargarh. [[Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces]] manages some of the most iconic palaces of the region, [[Lake Palace]], Udaipur; [[Umaid Bhawan Palace]], Jodhpur; [[Fort Madhogarh]], Jaipur and [[Rambagh Palace]], Jaipur; and offer authentic royal retreats to the guests in all its grandeur, splendour and magnificence.

[[Kolkata]] is known as the City of Palaces within the Indian context, referring to the numerous grand residential buildings that dotted the city from the end of the 18th century onwards, as it grew to become one of the largest cities of the [[British Raj]].

[[Karnataka]] is famous for the [[Amba Vilas Palace]] (commonly known as [[Mysore Palace]]) in Mysuru / [[Mysore]], which was the palace of the [[Wodeyar]] kings. It was said to have been built of wood until it had to be rebuilt after a [[fire]] that burned down the entire palace complex.

===Indonesia===
[[File:Istana Pagaruyung.jpg|thumb|[[Pagaruyung Palace]]]]
In [[Indonesia]], palaces are known as ''[[Istana (disambiguation)|istana]]'' ([[Malay language|Malay]] and [[Indonesian language|Indonesian]]), or ''[[Kraton (Indonesia)|kraton]]'' ([[Javanese language|Javanese]] and [[Sundanese language|Sundanese]]). In [[Bali]] the royal palace compound is called ''puri''. The palaces reflect the long [[Indonesian history|history]] and diverse [[Culture of Indonesia|culture]] of the Indonesian archipelago.<ref name="JP-Palace">{{Cite news|url=http://www.thejakartapost.com/life/2018/02/22/hundreds-of-palaces-still-in-existence-in-indonesia.html|title=Hundreds of palaces still in existence in Indonesia|work=The Jakarta Post|access-date=2018-09-08|language=en}}</ref>

Although Indonesia is now a republic, some of its parts and provinces still retain and preserve their traditional royal heritage, for example the Sultanate of [[Yogyakarta Sultanate|Yogyakarta]], [[Surakarta Sunanate|Surakarta]], [[Mangkunegaran]] princedom, [[Keraton Kasepuhan|Kasepuhan]] palace in [[Cirebon Sultanate|Cirebon]], as well as the [[Sultanate of Pontianak]] and [[Kutai]] in [[East Kalimantan]]. Remnants of palaces and royal houses still can be found in [[Banten]], [[Medan]], [[Ternate]], [[Tidore]], [[Bima]], [[Bali]] and [[Sumenep]]. Most of whom are now Museums.<ref name="JP-Palace"/> The layout of traditional Balinese and Javanese ''kratons'' is similar to the Chinese concept of walled compounds of royal pavilions, squares and gardens. Most of these ''kratons'' took the form of wooden pavilions called ''[[pendopo]]'',<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.lonelyplanet.com/indonesia/yogyakarta/attractions/kraton/a/poi-sig/442276/356573|title=Kraton|website=www.lonelyplanet.com|language=en|access-date=2018-09-08}}</ref> while the ''istana'' of [[Sumatra]] usually consist of a single large structure. Typical [[Minangkabau people|Minangkabau]] vernacular architecture can be found in [[Pagaruyung Palace]], [[West Sumatra]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2013/11/23/istano-basa-pagaruyung-restored-glory.html|title=Istano Basa Pagaruyung: Restored to glory|work=The Jakarta Post|access-date=2018-09-08|language=en}}</ref> An example of [[Malay Indonesian|Malay]] palace is [[Istana Maimun]] in [[Medan]] and the [[Siak Sri Indrapura Palace]] in [[Siak Sri Indrapura | Siak]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.indonesia.travel/gb/en/trip-ideas/6-instagrammable-landmarks-in-medan|work=Indonesia Travel |title=6 Instagrammable Landmarks in Medan|access-date=2018-09-08}}</ref>

During the [[Dutch East India Company|VOC]] and colonial era of the [[Dutch East Indies]], the colonial government built several European stately palaces as the residence of the governor-general. Most of these European palaces have now become the state palace of the Republic of Indonesia. Indonesian state palaces are the [[neoclassical architecture|neoclassic]] [[Merdeka Palace]] and [[Bogor Palace]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2017/11/21/jokowi-to-work-from-bogor-palace-in-december.html|title=Jokowi to work from Bogor Palace in December|work=The Jakarta Post|access-date=2018-09-08|language=en}}</ref>

===Iran===
{{main|List of palaces in Iran}}

[[File:Palacio de Golestán, Teherán, Irán, 2016-09-17, DD 15-19 PAN.jpg|upright=1.35|thumb|[[Golestan Palace]] in [[Tehran]]]]
The [[Niavarān Palace Complex]] is a historical complex situated in the northern part of Tehran, Iran. It consists of several buildings and a museum. The Sahebqraniyeh Palace, from the time of [[Naser al-Din Shah]] of the Qajar dynasty, is also inside this complex. The main Niavaran Palace, completed in 1968, was the primary residence of the last shah, [[Mohammad Reza Pahlavi]], and the imperial family, until the Iranian Revolution. The main palace was designed by the Iranian architect Mohsen Foroughi.

===Israel/Palestine===
{{unreferenced section|date=September 2024}}
The pre-[[Israelite]] [[Canaan]]ite site of [[Tel Kabri]], destroyed in c. 1600 BCE, was built around a palace core. A palace culture of ancient [[History of ancient Israel and Judah |Israel and Judah]] can be inferred from the [[Hebrew Bible]], and the [[History of Israel#Iron Age |Iron Age]] [[Omride]] palace at [[Samaria (ancient city)|Samaria]] has been excavated by archaeologists; no palace of [[David]] has been securely identified, and the historicity of [[Solomon]] is yet to be proven.

From the Late [[Hellenistic]] or [[Hasmonean]] and the Early Roman or [[Herodian]] period, there are many historical palaces like the two at [[Masada]]. [[Herod's Palace| Palaces of Herod the Great]] and his line of [[Client kingdoms in ancient Rome| client kings and rulers]] have been further identified at several sites, including Herod's [[Herod's Palace (Jerusalem) |royal palace at Jerusalem]], the Hasmonean and Herodian winter palaces at [[Tulul Abu el-'Alayiq| Jericho]], and Herod's [[Herod's Palace (Herodium)| fortified palace and second administrative seat at Herodium]] in the Judean desert. Herod's palace at [[Caesarea Maritima]] preserved its palatial function as the official residence of the [[Roman procurator]]s and [[Roman governor|governors]] of In [[Judaea (Roman province) | Judaea]].

There are other much later palaces in the [[Old City of Jerusalem]], such as the [[Mamluk Egypt| Mamluk]] [[Lady Tunshuk Palace]].

There are a number of magnificent 19th-century buildings that are not considered "palaces", but have the grandeur of a typical palace, such as the [[Bukharan Quarter#Yehudayoff Palace ("Armon") |Yehudayoff-Hefetz residence]], and the [[Russian Compound#Sergei Courtyard |Sergei Courtyard]] in [[Jerusalem]].

===Japan===
[[File:KoukyoSeimon.jpg|thumb|right|[[Tokyo Imperial Palace]]]]
{{main|List of Japanese imperial residences}}
Of the palaces in Japan, many are located in [[Tokyo]], such as the [[Tokyo Imperial Palace]], which houses Japan's royal family. The imperial palace was built on the site of [[Edo Castle]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3017.html|title=Tokyo Imperial Palace|date=20 May 2019|website=Japan Guide|access-date=27 May 2020}}</ref> Other Japanese palaces are located in Kyoto, the former capital of Japan. Most Japanese palaces are built in a "castle" style formation, as a large pagoda. This helps reinforce the palace from earthquakes.

===Korea===
{{Main|Korean Palace}}
[[File:경복궁 전경.jpg|thumb|right|The Korean [[Gyeongbokgung]] palace]]
Korea has used many palaces since ancient times, although many have been destroyed. Palaces were built within, but not limited to Seoul, Kaeseong, Pyeongyang, Gyeongju, and Buyeo, as well as in various cities located outside of modern Korea. Today, only [[Joseon|Joseon dynasty]] palaces are still intact, even then, very downsized due to years of colonialism, war, and neglect. The most emblematic of these surviving palaces is the [[Gyeongbokgung]],<ref>{{Cite web |title=Explore Five Beautiful Palaces in Korea - National Palace Museum of Korea |url=https://artsandculture.google.com/exhibit/explore-five-beautiful-palaces-in-korea/PgLiLZsbbnj1LA |access-date=2022-05-25 |website=Google Arts & Culture |language=en}}</ref> the primary palace of the Joseon Dynasty. Other examples include the [[Changdeokgung]], [[Changgyeonggung]], [[Deoksugung]], and [[Gyeonghuigung]]. All of these are from the Joseon dynasty and survive to this day, though many had to be reconstructed during the recent decades following their destruction during the [[Korea under Japanese rule|colonial period]]. Other famous examples include the [[Manwoldae]], the palace of the [[Goryeo dynasty]] located in [[Kaeseong]], the [[Banwolseong]], the palace of [[Silla]] located in [[Gyeongju]], and [[Anhak Palace]], the palace of [[Goguryeo]] located in [[Pyeongyang]].

===Lebanon===
[[File:Courtyard at Beiteddine Palace - 2009.jpg|thumb|right|[[Beiteddine Palace]] built in the 15th century in [[Lebanon]]]]
Palaces have existed in Lebanon since the time of the [[Phoenicians]]. Almost all of the palaces of ancient Phoenicia have been destroyed.

During the Renaissance palaces were built in Lebanon, especially in the [[Chouf]] region of Mount Lebanon. Lebanese palaces are very diverse architecturally, being influenced by Arabs, Italians, French, Persians, Turkish and East Asians. This is seen in the [[Beiteddine Palace]], which is a mixture of traditional Lebanese, Italian, Arabic and Persian architecture.

Today in Lebanon there are at least ten buildings that can be classified as palaces, including the [[Beiteddine Palace]], [[Grand Serail]] (one of the largest in the world), [[Baabda Palace]], [[Sursock Museum]], [[Seraglio of Baabda]] and [[Fakhreddine Palace]].

===Malaysia===
[[File:Kuala Lumpur Malaysia-Istana Negara-Jalan-Duta-01.jpg|thumb|[[Istana Negara, Jalan Tuanku Abdul Halim|Istana Negara]] (National Palace), the official residence of the [[Yang di-Pertuan Agong|king of Malaysia]]]]
[[File:Malaysian National Palace Main Gate (6758948437).jpg|thumb|upright=1.35|The monumental gate of [[Istana Negara, Jalan Duta|Istana Negara Jalan Duta]], Malaysia]]
[[Malaysia]], a constituent of nine states, is ruled by hereditary sultans. Every five years, one sultan is elected as [[Yang di-Pertuan Agong]] (Supreme King), the head of state of Malaysia. The Yang di-Pertuan Agong has a palace, referred to as an ''[[Istana Negara, Jalan Duta|istana]]''. Each of the other sultans has their own ''istana'', located in their state. Throughout the country they are sometimes called ''Istana Hinggap''.

The Yang di-Pertuan Agong's official residences are the [[Istana Negara, Jalan Duta]]; the Royal Museum; and [[Istana Melawati]], a palace and retreat, located in [[Putrajaya]]. Some of the other official palaces are the [[Istana Besar]], [[Anak Bukit|Istana Anak Bukit]], Istana Pekan, [[Istana Maziah]], [[Istana Alam Shah]], Istana Balai Besar, [[Seri Menanti|Istana Besar Seri Menanti]], [[Istana Iskandariah]] and Istana Arau. Several appointed governors, or [[Yang di-Pertua Negeri]], are also assigned to have their official seat and residence such as [[The Astana, Sarawak|The Astana]], Istana Negeri Sabah and [[The Residency, Penang|Seri Mutiara]].

===Nepal===
[[Singha Durbar]] (literally, ''Lion Palace'') in [[Kathmandu]] is the official [[seat of government]] of [[Nepal]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Brown |first1=Louise |title=The Ranas and the Raj |url=http://www.historiamag.com/ranas-and-raj/ |website=Historia}}</ref>

[[File:Narayanhiti Palace Museum.jpg|thumb|right|Narayanhiti Palace]]
[[Narayanhiti Palace]] Museum was a residence and principal workplace of the reigning monarch of the Kingdom of Nepal. It was built by King Mahendra in 1961<ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-08-04 |title=Narayanhiti Palace Museum {{!}} Ticket Price, Opening Days - Stunning Nepal |url=https://www.stunningnepal.com/narayanhiti-palace-museum/ |access-date=2022-05-25 |language=en-US}}</ref> under the design of Californian architect Benjamin Polk. After the [[2006 Nepalese revolution|2006 revolution]] that overthrew the monarchy, this royal palace was turned into a public museum.

Older palaces include the Durbar Squares, which are enlisted as [[UNESCO World Heritage Sites]]. They are located in [[Kathmandu Valley]] in districts of [[Kathmandu]], [[Bhaktapur]] and [[Lalitpur, Nepal|Lalitpur]]. In Kathmandu is Kathmandu Durbar Square, Bhaktapur Durbar Square in Bhaktapur, Patan Durbar Square in Lalitpur.

[[File:Basantapur Tower Kathmandu Durbar Square Nepal.jpg|thumb|right|Kathmandu Durbar Square]]
[[Kathmandu Durbar Square]] (Basantapur Darbar Kshetra) in front of the old royal palace of the former Kathmandu Kingdom is one of three durbar (royal palace) squares in the Kathmandu Valley in Nepal, all of which are UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Several buildings in the Square collapsed due to a major earthquake on 25 April 2015. Durbar Square was surrounded with spectacular architecture and vividly showcases the skills of the Newar artists and craftsmen over several centuries. The Royal Palace was originally at Dattaraya square and was later moved to Durbar square.

The Kathmandu Durbar Square held the palaces of the Malla and Shah kings who ruled over the city. Along with these palaces, the square surrounds quadrangles, revealing courtyards and temples. It is known as Hanuman Dhoka Durbar Square, a name derived from a statue of Hanuman, the monkey devotee of Lord Ram, at the entrance of the palace.
 
[[File:Bhaktapur Durbar Square, Bhatkapur.jpg|thumb|right|Bhaktapur Durbar Square]]
[[Bhaktapur Durbar Square]] is the plaza in front of the royal palace of the old Bhaktapur Kingdom. It is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Bhaktapur Durbar Square is located in the current town of Bhaktapur, also known as Bhadgaon, which lies 13&nbsp;km east of Kathmandu. While the complex consists of at least four distinct squares (Durbar Square, Taumadhi Square, Dattatreya Square and Pottery Square), the whole area is informally known as the Bhakapur Durbar Square and is a highly visited site in the Kathmandu Valley. This palace consists of 55 windows so it is also known as '55 Windowed Palace'.

[[Patan Durbar Square]] is situated at the centre of the city of Lalitpur in Nepal. It is also one of the three durbar squares in the Kathmandu Valley, all of which are UNESCO World Heritage Sites. One of its attraction is the ancient royal palace where the Malla kings of Lalitpur resided.

The Durbar Square is a marvel of Newa architecture. The floor of the square is tiled with red bricks. There are many temples and idols in the area. The main temples are aligned opposite of the western face of the palace. The entrance of the [[temples]] faces east, towards the palace. There is also a bell situated in the alignment beside the main temples. The Square also holds old Newari residential houses. There are various other temples and structures in and around Patan Durbar Square built by the Newa People.

===Philippines===
[[File:Daru_Jambangan.jpg|thumb|right|Daru Jambangan, royal palace of the [[Sultanate of Sulu]]]]

In [[History of the Philippines (900–1521)|pre-Hispanic Philippines]], [[Filipino people|Filipino]]s built large wooden residences for the ancient nobility and royalty (such as [[lakan]]s, wangs, [[rajah]]s and [[datu]]s) called ''[[torogan]]''<ref>{{cite web |url=http://nlpdl.nlp.gov.ph:81/CC01/NLP00VM052mcd/v2/v2.pdf |title=The Ethnic Tradition |access-date=26 February 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170227062606/http://nlpdl.nlp.gov.ph:81/CC01/NLP00VM052mcd/v2/v2.pdf |archive-date=27 February 2017 |df=dmy-all }}</ref> or ''bahay lakan'' ("king's house"). The windows of the ''torogan'' are slits and richly framed in wood panels with ''okir'' designs located in front of the house. The communal kitchen is half a meter lower than the main house and is both used for cooking and eating. The distinct high gable roof of the ''torogan'', thin at the apex and gracefully flaring out to the eaves, sits on a huge structures enclosed by slabs of timber and lifted more than two meters above the ground by a huge trunk of a tree that was set on a rock. The end floor beams lengthen as panolongs the seemed to lift up the whole house. The torogan is suffused with decorations. There were diongal at the apex of the roof, also an intricately carved tinai a walai, ''okir'' designs in the floor, on windows and on panolongs.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://habagatcentral.com/2012/02/16/torogan-the-forgotten-heritage-of-dayawan-marawi|title=Torogan: The Forgotten Heritage of Dayawan Marawi – HabagatCentral|work=HabagatCentral|access-date=17 March 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150123172315/http://habagatcentral.com/2012/02/16/torogan-the-forgotten-heritage-of-dayawan-marawi/|archive-date=23 January 2015|df=dmy-all}}</ref>

The people in the southern part of Philippines built the same wooden palaces such as the ''langgal'' of the [[Tausug people|Tausug]]. In the [[Sultanate of Sulu]], a palace was built for the sultans and was named [[Darul Jambangan|Astana Darul Jambangan]] (white adobe), which was destroyed by a typhoon in 1912. A replica of the royal palace has been rebuilt as an attraction in Mt. Bayug Eco-Cultural Park in the town of [[Talipao, Sulu]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.eazytraveler.net/2014/11/sulu-sultan-royal-palace-replica/|title=Talipao, Sulu: Sleeping Like a Sultan at the Royal Palace Replica|date=12 November 2014|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170113162939/http://www.eazytraveler.net/2014/11/sulu-sultan-royal-palace-replica/|archive-date=13 January 2017|df=dmy-all}}</ref>

During the [[History of the Philippines (1565–1898)|Spanish era]], the government of the [[Spanish East Indies]] built a succession of palaces in and around [[Manila]] for high colonial officials and religious authorities. The most famous of these is the 18th-century [[Malacañang Palace]], which originally housed Spanish and American [[Governor-General of the Philippines|governors-general]] and, since the [[Commonwealth of the Philippines|Commonwealth]], the [[president of the Philippines]].

Former president and strongman [[Ferdinand Marcos]] had [[Coconut Palace]] constructed in 1978 to showcase the country's varied uses for the [[coconut]]. It serves as the home and office of the [[Vice-President of the Philippines|vice-president]]. In 2004, President [[Gloria Macapagal Arroyo]] converted the former ''Aduana'' (customs house) in [[Cebu City]] into a small palace, called [[Malacañang sa Sugbo]].

===Thailand===
{{Main|List of Thai royal residences}}

===Turkey===
[[File:Topkapı - 01.jpg|thumb|[[Topkapı Palace]] complex, [[Istanbul]]]]
The enormous [[Topkapı Palace]] complex in [[Istanbul]] was begun in 1459, and with its many additions survived almost completely intact until it was turned into a museum in 1923. It was the centre of government as well as the residence of the [[Ottoman Caliphs]].  It combined aspects of the typical Asian form of a group of pavilions set in a large walled garden (part is now [[Gülhane Park]]) with the European style of a single massive building with courtyards. Visitors passed through a series of courtyards, originally lined with hundreds of soldiers along the arcades, with only the most important or favoured reaching the Fourth Courtyard and the imperial residential quarters.

By the 19th century Topkapı was largely abandoned as a residence in favour of the new [[Dolmabahçe Palace]] and [[Yıldız Palace]], as well as smaller [[Ottoman palaces in Istanbul]], some summer retreats and the like.  These were in essentially European architectural styles.

===Vietnam===
{{Further|Imperial City of Huế|Imperial Citadel of Thăng Long|Citadel of the Hồ Dynasty|Cổ Loa Citadel}}
[[File:La porte du midi (Cité impériale, Hué).jpg|thumb|Meridian gate, Imperial City of Hue]]
[[File:Main Gate - Citadel of Hanoi.jpg|thumb|right|Doan Mon gate, Imperial Citadel of Thang Long]]

==Europe==
[[File:Palacio Real, Ámsterdam, Países Bajos, 2016-05-30, DD 07-09 HDR.jpg|alt=|thumb|The [[Royal Palace of Amsterdam]] in [[Amsterdam]], Netherlands]]

===Belgium===
'''The city of [[Bruges]]''':

[[File:Gruuthuuse.jpg|thumb|Exterior view of the Gruuthuse]]
The '''Gruuthusemuseum''' is a museum of applied arts in [[Bruges]], located in the late medieval Gruuthuse, the Palace of [[Louis de Gruuthuse]]. The collection ranges from the 15th to the 19th century.

Presumably in the 13th century, a rich family from Bruges received the [[monopoly]] to levy taxes on [[gruit]], and built storage for it. The building was changed in the early fifteenth century by [[Jan IV van der Aa]] to a luxury house for his family, which subsequently changed its name to "Van Gruuthuse" ("From the Gruit house"). His son Louis de Gruuthuse added a second wing to the house, and in 1472 a "chapel". This is in a bridge which connects the house to the adjacent [[Church of Our Lady, Bruges]], so that members of the household could see the high altar from wide windows in the room.<ref name=Onroerend>{{cite web|title=Huis van de Heren van Gruuthuse|date=14 May 2024 |url=https://inventaris.onroerenderfgoed.be/dibe/relict/82344|publisher=Inventaris onroerend erfgeod|language=nl}}</ref>  However the building was very heavily restored in the 19th century.

'''The city of [[Mechelen]]''' houses several palaces:

"Hof van Kamerijk" or "Palace of [[Margaret of York]]", 15th-century building. Also called "Keizershof" (English; literally "Emperor's Court") because several royal children resided here and received education at this court, including [[Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor|Charles V]] (Holy Roman Emperor and Archduke of Austria, King of Spain and Duke of Burgundy)

"[[Hof van Savoye]]" or "Palace of [[Margaret of Austria, Duchess of Savoy|Margaret of Austria]]", early 16th-century building and one of the first [[Renaissance]] buildings in northern Europe.

The "[[Hof van Busleyden]]", early 16th-century Renaissance palace of [[Hieronymus van Busleyden]]; The "Archbishop 's palace", 18th-century building and the official seat of the [[Archbishop]] of [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Mechelen–Brussels|the Roman Catholic province Belgium]]; The "Hof van Palermo", 15th-century palace of [[Jan I Carondelet]]; The "Hof van Hoogstraten", 16th-century palace of [[Antoon I van Lalaing]]; The "Hof van Nassau", 15th-century building which served as temporary court of [[Margaret of York]] when she arrived in Mechelen after her marriage with [[Charles the Bold]]; The "Hof van Cortenbach", 16th-century building; The "Hof van Coloma", 18th-century palace of Jean Ernest Coloma, Baron of St-Pieters Leeuw and member of the [[Coloma family]]

'''The city of [[Brussels]]''' has also several remaining and notable palaces: "[[Royal Palace of Brussels|The Royal Palace of Brussels]]", the official palace of the King and Queen of the Belgians, [[Egmont Palace|The Egmont palace]], The Palace of [[Prince Charles Alexander of Lorraine|Prince Charles Alexander Emanuel of Lorraine]] and Hotel Errera.  The [[Palace of Coudenberg]], the main Renaissance palace and seat of government power, burnt down completely in 1731.

===France===
[[File:3919ParigiPalaisDeJustice.JPG|thumb|[[Palais de Justice, Paris|Palais de Justice]] of [[Paris]], France]]
[[File:Palace of Versailles June 2010.jpg|thumb|[[Palace of Versailles]]]]
In France there has been a clear distinction between a [[château]] and a ''palais''. The palace has always been urban, like the ''[[Conciergerie|Palais de la Cité]]'' in [[Paris]], which was the royal palace of France and is now the supreme court of justice of France, or the palace of the [[Pope]]s at [[Avignon]].

The château, by contrast, has always been in rural settings, supported by its [[demesne]], even when it was no longer actually fortified. Speakers of English think of the "[[Palace of Versailles]]" because it was the residence of the king of France, and the king was the source of power, though the building has always remained the ''Château de Versailles'' for the French, and the seat of government under the ''[[Ancien Régime]]'' remained the '''Palais''' du [[Louvre]]. The Louvre had begun as a fortified ''Château du Louvre'' on the edge of Paris, but as the seat of government and shorn of its fortified architecture and then completely surrounded by the city, it developed into the ''Palais du Louvre''.

The ''[[hôtel particulier]]'' remains the term for an urban residence sited ''entre cour et jardin'', behind a forecourt and opening onto a garden; when fronting directly on streets, they are ''maisons'', "houses". Bishops always had a ''palais'' in the town of their diocese, an ''hôtel'' in other towns, though they might possess ''chateaux''.

The usage is essentially the same in Italy, Spain and Portugal, as well as the former [[Austrian Empire]]. In [[Vienna]], Austria, all large mansions belonging to aristocratic or very wealthy families were traditionally called ''palais'', but this never applied to imperial palaces themselves which were called ''Burg'' within the city and ''Schloss'' when outside it. In Germany, the wider term was a relatively recent importation and was used rather more restrictively.

===Germany===
[[File:Schloss Charlottenburg Berlin 2007.jpg|thumb|The [[Charlottenburg Palace]] in [[Berlin]], Germany]]
{{main|List of castles in Germany|Schloss}}
The German term for "palace" is ''Palast'', which is used especially for large palatial complexes and gardens. Large country houses are typically called ''[[schloss]]'' (''chateaux'' or ''castle'' in English).

Germany offers a variety of more than 25,000 castles and palaces and thousands of [[manor house]]s. The country is known for its [[fairy tale]]-like scenery palatial buildings, such as [[Sanssouci]], [[Linderhof Palace]], [[Herrenchiemsee]], [[Schwetzingen Palace|Schwetzingen]], [[Schloss Nordkirchen|Nordkirchen]] and [[Schwerin Palace]]. Many of these buildings have a history of over 1000 years, ranging from fortifications to royal residences. Many German castles after the [[Middle Ages]] were mainly built as royal or ducal palaces rather than as a fortified building.

===Hungary===
[[File:Károlyi-kastély (Kastélyhotel Sasvár) (5819. számú műemlék).jpg|thumb|''Károlyi Palace'' of [[Parádsasvár]], Hungary]]
In [[Hungary]] distinction is made between urban and rural residencies. Only the urban residencies of the higher aristocracy were called ''palota'' (palace); rural stately homes were named ''kastély'' (mansion), or in case of smaller country houses, ''kúria''. Noble landowner families, like the [[House of Esterházy]], often had several mansions in the countryside and palaces in towns. The office of the [[president of the Republic of Hungary]], [[Sándor Palace, Budapest|Sándor Palace]], was the residence of the Sándor family in the 19th century. Royal residencies were also called palaces, for example, the Early Renaissance summer palace of King [[Matthias Corvinus of Hungary|Matthias Corvinus]] in [[Visegrád]] or [[Buda Castle]] which was called ''Királyi-palota'' (Royal Palace). In the second half of the 19th century, splendid new townhouses of the bourgeoisie on [[Andrássy út]] and elsewhere in [[Budapest]] were named palaces. A typical example is the Art Nouveau [[Gresham Palace]], which was built by an insurance company. Grand public buildings and even blocks of flats of higher standard were regularly called palaces (the contemporary term of the latter were ''bérpalota'' meaning rent palace). For contemporary buildings the term is seldom used with the notable exemption of the [[Palace of Arts (Budapest)|Palace of Arts]].

===Ireland===
In Ireland, the term "palace" ({{Langx|ga|pailís}}) is rarely used. The main royal residence in Ireland, [[Dublin Castle]], was never called a palace, nor is [[Hillsborough Castle]], the main royal residence of Northern Ireland.

The word "palace" is largely restricted to large official dwellings for Church of Ireland bishops:
*[[St. Lachtain's Church, Freshford|Bishop's Palace at Achadh Úr]] (modern [[Freshford, County Kilkenny|Freshford]]), home of the medieval Bishop of Freshford
*Braganza, [[Carlow]], home of the [[Bishops of Kildare and Leighlin]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.igp-web.com/Carlow/Braganza_Villa.htm|title=Braganza Villa Carlow Town|website=www.igp-web.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.heritage-print.com/braganza-house-bishops-palace-carlow-ireland-14942713.html|title=Print of Braganza House, the Bishops Palace, Carlow, Ireland, 1924-1926.Artist: Valentine & Sons|website=Heritage Images Photo Prints}}</ref>
*Archbishop's Palace, [[Cashel, County Tipperary]], home of the [[Archbishop of Cashel and Emly]]; built in 1732, now the [[Cashel Palace Hotel]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.buildingsofireland.ie/buildings-search/building/30331042/saint-jarlaths-bishop-street-townparks-3rd-division-tuam-galway|title=Saint Jarlath's, Bishop Street, TOWNPARKS (3RD DIVISION), Tuam, GALWAY|website=Buildings of Ireland}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.archiseek.com/2012/palace-cashel/|title=1732 – Former Archbishop's Palace, Cashel, Co. Tipperary|date=19 October 2012}}</ref>
*Bishop's Palace, [[Cork City|Cork]], home of the [[Bishop of Cork, Cloyne and Ross]]<ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=https://www.buildingsofireland.ie/buildings-search/building/20503386/bishops-palace-bishop-street-cork-city-cork-city-cork|title=Bishop's Palace, Bishop Street, CORK CITY, Cork City, CORK|website=Buildings of Ireland}}</ref>
*The Palace, [[Cobh]], former home of the [[Bishop of Cloyne]]<ref name="auto"/>
*[[Manor of St. Sepulchre|Palace of the Archbishop of Dublin at Saint Sepulchre's]], former home of the [[Archbishop of Dublin]]<ref>{{Cite ISB|year=1804|num=63|title=Archbishop's Palace Dublin Act 1804|parl=uk|regy=44 Geo. 3|date=29 June 1804}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/heritage/kevin-street-garda-station-s-walls-hide-medieval-palace-1.2289094|title=Kevin Street Garda station's walls hide medieval palace|first=Olivia|last=Kelly|newspaper=The Irish Times}}</ref>
* Bishop's Palace at Elphin, former home of the [[Bishop of Elphin]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.buildingsofireland.ie/buildings-search/building/40833050/church-of-ireland-bishops-palace-raphoe-demesne-raphoe-donegal|title=Church of Ireland Bishop's Palace, RAPHOE DEMESNE, Raphoe, DONEGAL|website=Buildings of Ireland}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://theirishaesthete.com/tag/bishops-palace/|title=Bishop's Palace|website=The Irish Aesthete|date=24 July 2017 }}</ref>
*Bishop's Palace, [[Ennis]], also called Westbourne, home of the [[Bishop of Killaloe]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.killaloediocese.ie/mercy-sisters-say-farewell-to-killaloe-town/|title=Mercy Sisters say farewell to Killaloe town|date=8 December 2018|website=Killaloe Diocese}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.historicalpicturearchive.com/shop/pictures/cl-00273/|title=Westbourne, Bishop's Palace, Ennis, Co Lare, Ireland. old Irish photograph. CL-00273 – The Historical Picture Archive|website=www.historicalpicturearchive.com}}</ref>
*Bishop's Palace of Kilkenny, a summer house for the [[Bishops of Ossory]], built by [[Richard Pococke]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.buildingsofireland.ie/buildings-search/building/12003011/bishops-palace-church-lane-gardens-st-canice-par-kilkenny-kilkenny|title=Bishop's Palace, Church Lane, GARDENS (ST. CANICE PAR.), Kilkenny, KILKENNY|website=Buildings of Ireland}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/letters/bishop-s-palace-in-kilkenny-1.1124288|title=Bishop's palace in Kilkenny|newspaper=The Irish Times}}</ref>
*Bishop's Palace, [[Killarney]], former home of the [[Bishop of Ardfert and Aghadoe]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.buildingsofireland.ie/buildings-search/building/21400809/bishops-palace-saint-marys-presbytery-cathedral-place-off-new-road-off-inch-ma-by-killarney-urban-ed-killarney-kerry|title=Bishop's Palace/Saint Mary's Presbytery, Cathedral Place (off), New Road (off), INCH (MA. BY.) KILLARNEY URBAN ED, Killarney, KERRY|website=Buildings of Ireland}}</ref>
*Bishop's Palace, [[Kilmore, County Cavan]], also called the "See House", home of the [[Bishop of Kilmore]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.archiseek.com/2015/1837-bishops-palace-kilmore-co-cavan/|title=Archiseek - Irish Architecture - 1837 - Bishop's Palace, Kilmore, Co. Cavan|date=11 September 2015}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.buildingsofireland.ie/buildings-search/building/40402506/see-house-kilmore-upper-cavan|title=See House, KILMORE UPPER, CAVAN|website=Buildings of Ireland}}</ref>
*Bishop's Palace, [[Limerick]], former home of the [[Bishop of Limerick]]<ref>{{Cite news |last=O Cinneide |first=Seamus |title=Palace of the past |url=http://www.limerickcity.ie/media/bp014.pdf }}</ref><ref name="auto"/>
*Church of Ireland Bishop's Palace, [[Raphoe]]
*Archbishop's Palace, [[Tuam]], built in 1678 and burnt in 1691; Grove House now stands on the site.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://heritage.galwaycommunityheritage.org/content/places/tuam-heritage-and-nature-trail/43-grove-house|title=43. Grove House|date=3 May 2018}}</ref> Saint Jarlath's, built {{Circa|1870}}, later served as archbishop's palace.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.libraryireland.com/topog/T/Tuam-Clare-Galway.php|title=Tuam - Topographical Dictionary of Ireland (1837)|website=www.libraryireland.com}}</ref>
*[[Bishop's Palace Waterford]], formerly home of the [[Bishop of Waterford and Lismore]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.joc-architects.ie/projects/the-bishops-palace-museum-waterford|title=The Bishop's Palace Museum, Waterford|website=www.joc-architects.ie}}</ref> 
*[[Archbishop's Palace, Armagh]], formerly home of [[Archbishop of Armagh]]

There are also some Catholic bishops' palaces:
*Bishop's Palace, [[Ballina, County Mayo]], home of the Catholic [[Bishop of Killala]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.historicalpicturearchive.com/shop/pictures/mo-00105/|title=Bishop's Palace, Ballina, Co Mayo, Ireland. old photograph. MO-00105 – The Historical Picture Archive|website=www.historicalpicturearchive.com}}</ref>
*Bishop's Palace, Cork, on Redemption Road, home of the [[Roman Catholic Bishop of Cork and Ross]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.irishexaminer.com/opinion/commentanalysis/arid-20218552.html|title=A Bishop of the people|first=Claire|last=O'Sullivan|date=4 January 2013|website=Irish Examiner}}</ref>
*Archbishop's Palace, [[Drumcondra, Dublin|Drumcondra]], home of the [[Roman Catholic Archbishop of Dublin]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.dublinlive.ie/news/9-things-youll-only-know-12478518|title=9 things you'll only know if you grew up in Drumcondra|first=Stephen|last=McDermott|date=20 January 2017|website=DublinLive}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.historicalpicturearchive.com/shop/pictures/archbishops-palace-drumcondra-dublin-qx-00494/|title=Archbishops Palace, Drumcondra, Dublin QX-00494 – The Historical Picture Archive|website=www.historicalpicturearchive.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/renovations-to-archbishop-of-dublins-palace-cost-500000-26500291.html|title=Renovations to archbishop of Dublin's palace cost €500,000|website=independent|date=18 December 2008 }}</ref> It is today referred to as simply the Archbishop's House.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thejournal.ie/readme/column-beating-the-bullies-in-the-bishops-palace-191949-Aug2011/|title=Column: Beating the bullies in the Bishop's Palace|first=Johnny|last=Fallon|website=TheJournal.ie|date=2 August 2011 }}</ref>
*Bishop's Palace, [[Longford]], home of the [[Bishop of Ardagh and Clonmacnoise]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.historicalpicturearchive.com/shop/pictures/lf-00097/|title=The Bishop's Palace, Longford, Co Longford, Ireland. LF-00097 – The Historical Picture Archive|website=www.historicalpicturearchive.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.archiseek.com/2016/1905-bishops-palace-longford-co-longford/|title=1905 – Bishop's Palace, Longford, Co. Longford|date=16 May 2016}}</ref>
*Roman Catholic Bishop's Palace, [[Mullingar]], dwelling of the [[Roman Catholic Bishop of Meath]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000559319/Map?ui=standard|title=Roman Catholic Bishop's Palace, Mullingar, Co. Westmeath|year=1900}}</ref>
*Roman Catholic Bishop's Palace, [[Raphoe]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/courts/sisters-released-from-shame-that-had-haunted-them-asex-priest-who-abused-them-as-children-is-jailed-40698596.html|title=Sisters 'released from shame that had haunted them' as ex-priest who abused them as children is jailed|website=independent|date=28 July 2021 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000332323/Map?ui=standard|title=Bishop's Palace, Letterkenny, Co. Donegal|year=1865}}</ref>
*Archbishop's Palace, [[Thurles]], dwelling of the Catholic [[Archbishop of Cashel and Emly]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thurles.info/2019/11/17/times-they-are-a-changin-in-cathedral-street-thurles/|title=Times They Are A-Changin' In Cathedral Street Thurles &#124; Thurles Information|website=www.thurles.info|date=17 November 2019 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://search.benefacts.ie/org/5832188/cashel-and-emly-diocesan-trust-company-limited-by-guarantee|title=Benefacts|website=search.benefacts.ie}}</ref>

===Italy===
{{redirect|Palazzo}}
{{see also|List of palaces in Italy}}
[[File:Reggia di Caserta - panoramio - Carlo Pelagalli (2).jpg|thumb|right|[[Royal Palace of Caserta]] is the largest former royal residence in the world.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Chronopoulou |first=Angeliki |date=January 23, 2024 |title=Reggia Di Caserta Historical Overview |url=https://www.academia.edu/44592878 |access-date=January 23, 2024 |website=Academia |language=English}}</ref><ref name="Dictionnaire amoureux de Versailles">{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=qTdlAQAAQBAJ|title=Dictionnaire amoureux de Versailles|first=Franck|last=FERRAND|date=October 24, 2013|publisher=Place des éditeurs|isbn=9782259222679 |via=Google Books}}</ref>]]
[[File:(Venice) Doge's Palace facing the sea.jpg|thumb|[[Doge's Palace]], [[Venice]]. The palace included government offices, a jail, and the residence of the [[Doge of Venice]], the elected authority of the former [[Republic of Venice]]]]

In Italy, any urban building built as a grand residence is a ''palazzo''; these are often no larger than a Victorian [[townhouse]]. It was not necessary to be a [[nobleman]] for one's house to be considered a ''palazzo''; the hundreds of ''palazzi'' in [[Venice]] nearly all belonged to the [[Patrician (post-Roman Europe)|patrician]] class of the city. In the [[Middle Ages]] these also functioned as [[warehouse]]s and places of business, as well as homes. Each family's ''palazzo'' was a hive that contained all the family members, though it might not always show a grand architectural public front. In the 20th century, ''palazzo'' in Italian came to apply by extension to any large fine apartment building, as many old ''palazzi'' were converted to this use.

Bishop's townhouses were always ''palazzi'', and the seat of a localized regime would also be so called. Many former capitals display a [[Ducal Palace]], the seat of the local duke or lord. In [[Florence]] (just as for other strong [[Medieval commune|communal governments]]), the seat of government was known as Palazzo della Signoria. When the Medici were made Grand Dukes of Tuscany, however, the centre of power shifted to their new residence in [[Palazzo Pitti]], and the old centre of power began to be referred to as the [[Palazzo Vecchio]].

Shops on the ground floor and flats at the top of a modern ''palazzo'' are not at all incongruous: historically, the ground floors of even a great family's ''palazzo'' could be trade and domestic offices often open to servants, tradesmen, customers and the public, while the smartest and most prestigious floor (known as the ''[[piano nobile]]'') was kept for the family along with the upper floors and apartments, all of which were considered cleaner and safer than those on the ground floor. There were (and are) often separate, sometimes external, stairs to the humblest attic rooms and roofs used by the staff.

The most important royal ''palazzi'' in Italy are those in [[Royal Palace of Caserta|Caserta]], [[Royal Palace of Milan|Milan]], [[Royal Palace of Naples|Naples]], [[Royal Palace of Palermo|Palermo]], [[Royal Palace of Turin|Turin]], as well as the [[Quirinale Palace]] in [[Rome]].

===Malta===
[[File:Valletta St Johns square Malta 2014 3.jpg|thumb|right|[[Grandmaster's Palace (Valletta)|Grandmaster's Palace]] in [[Valletta]]]]
Until the sixteenth century, [[Malta]] was part of the [[Kingdom of Sicily]], and the capital [[Mdina]] housed many palaces for the nobility, such as [[Palazzo Falson]] and [[Palazzo Santa Sofia]]. After the [[History of Malta under the Order of Saint John|arrival of the Order of Saint John]] in 1530, the knights settled in [[Birgu]], where part of [[Fort St Angelo]] was used as a palace for the [[List of Grand Masters of the Knights Hospitaller|Grand Master]]. The knights themselves lived in [[Langue (Knights Hospitaller)#Birgu|auberges]], but these were more large houses rather than palaces.

When the Order began to build a new capital [[Valletta]] in 1566, a new [[Grandmaster's Palace (Valletta)|Grandmaster's Palace]] and a series of [[Langue (Knights Hospitaller)#Birgu|new auberges]] were built. The auberges in Valletta are much larger than their counterparts in Birgu, and can be considered as palaces. The most important auberge still standing is [[Auberge de Castille]], which currently houses the Office of the Prime Minister of Malta. Over the years, the Grand Masters also built a number of large residences in the countryside, such as [[Verdala Palace]] and [[San Anton Palace]]. Both of these now serve as official residences of the [[president of Malta]].

The [[Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Malta|Archbishop of Malta]] has a palace in Mdina. The inquisitor also had a [[Inquisitor's Palace|palace in Birgu]] and [[Girgenti Palace|another in Girgenti]] until the abolition of the inquisition in 1798. The nobility, upper classes and individual knights of the Order built a number of private palaces, especially in Valletta, but also in the countryside. There are other palaces built by the nobility, such as, most notably [[Palazzo Parisio (Valletta)|Palazzo Parisio]] in Valletta and [[Dragonara Palace|Palazzo Dragonara]] in St Julians.

===Poland===
[[File:Warszawa Pałac Prezydencki 2011.jpg|thumb|right|[[Presidential Palace, Warsaw|Presidential Palace]] in [[Warsaw]], Poland]]
The former Kingdom of Poland, known as the [[Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth]], once spanned over {{cvt|1,153,465|km2}}, which allowed the nobles to construct their residences anywhere from modern-day Poland to as far as southern [[Estonia]]. The [[Szlachta|Polish aristocracy]] (szlachta) greatly favoured [[Baroque architecture|Baroque]] and [[Rococo]] architecture of the period. Most notable architect specializing in those styles was [[Netherlands|Dutch]]-born [[Tylman van Gameren]] (also Tylman Gamerski), who designed several renowned palaces, for both [[Kings of Poland|kings]] and nobles, throughout the Commonwealth. Tylman also left behind a lifelong legacy of buildings that are regarded as gems of [[Baroque in Poland|Polish Baroque architecture]]. His most famous works include [[Krasiński Palace]] and [[Łazienki Palace]], both in [[Warsaw]], and [[Branicki Palace, Białystok|Branicki Palace]] in [[Białystok]]. Other palatial architects in Poland at the time were [[Chrystian Piotr Aigner]], [[Szymon Bogumił Zug]], [[Domenico Merlini]] and [[Johann Christian Schuch]].

At present, Poland possesses hundreds of varied-style palaces and residences designed by architects from all over the world. Some best examples are [[Wilanów Palace]], [[Presidential Palace, Warsaw|Presidential Palace]], [[Abbot's Palace (Oliwa)|Oliwa Abbot's Palace]], [[Copper-Roof Palace]], [[Palace of the Ministry of Revenues and Treasury]], [[Rogalin]], [[Jabłonowski Palace]], [[Kozłówka Palace|Zamoyski Palace in Kozłówka]], [[Kurozwęki Palace|Lanckoroński Palace in Kurozwęki]], [[Nieborów Palace]] and the [[Palace in Otwock Wielki]]. There are also several palaces resembling castles or medieval Gothic residences, most notably [[Moszna Castle]], [[Książ Castle]] and the [[Royal Castle, Warsaw|Warsaw Royal Castle]].

===Portugal===
[[File:Pena National Palace.JPG|thumb|right|[[Pena National Palace|Pena Palace]] in [[Sintra, Portugal]] is the oldest palace inspired by European Romanticism.]]
Due to its relatively small geography, most of [[Portugal]]'s palaces are former royal residences. Some examples of Portuguese palaces are [[Mafra National Palace]], [[Pena National Palace]], [[Belém Palace]], [[Ajuda National Palace]], [[Palácio das Necessidades]], [[Mateus Palace]], [[Palace Hotel of Bussaco]], [[Palácio da Regaleira]], and [[Palácio da Brejoeira]].
{{Clear}}

===Romania===
[[File:Casa Poporului.jpg|thumb|[[Palace of the Parliament]] in [[Bucharest]], Romania]]
Palaces in [[Romania]], as elsewhere in Europe, were originally built for royalty, nobles and bishops. Three former royal palaces in Romania are the [[Cotroceni Palace]] (now the presidential residence); the [[The Royal Palace (Bucharest)|Royal Palace in Bucharest]], which now houses the [[National Museum of Art of Romania]]; and the [[Elisabeta Palace]]. Although Romania is no longer a constitutional monarchy, the current head of the former Romanian royal family, [[Princess Margareta of Romania]], continues to reside at [[Elisabeta Palace]] in Bucharest.

Other palaces include the [[Crețulescu Palace]] in Bucharest, built for the Crețulescu family, and [[Peleș Castle|Peles palace]], built by King [[Carol I of Romania]] as a royal residence. 
[[File:Palace_of_Culture_(Iaşi)_0107.jpg|thumb|Built as a public administration centre, the [[Palace of Culture (Iași)|Cultural Palace in Iasi]] looks royal, but was never the seat of royalty]]
The [[Palace of the Parliament]] (Casa Poporului) from [[Bucharest]] and the [[Palace of Culture (Iași)|Palace of Culture]] in [[Iași]] (Palatul Culturii) are large government buildings, both purpose-built solely for government and public use.

===Russia===
The first palaces in Russia were built about a thousand years ago for the Grand Dukes of Kiev. These are not preserved, having been destroyed. Classical palaces were built during the reign of Tsar [[Peter I of Russia|Peter the Great]] and his immediate successors. Examples of Russian palaces include:
* the [[Winter Palace]] (1732–1917) in [[Saint Petersburg]], was the official residence of the Russian monarchs
* the [[Mariinsky Palace]] (1710–1727) in Saint Petersburg
* the [[Grand Kremlin Palace]] (1837–1849) of the [[Moscow Kremlin]] in [[Moscow]]
* the [[Peterhof Palace]] (1709–1755) in [[Petergof]]
* the [[Catherine Palace]] (1857–1862) in [[Tsarskoye Selo]]
* the [[Gatchina Palace]] (1766–1781) in [[Gatchina]]
<gallery mode="packed" heights="100">
File:Grand Cascade in Peterhof 01.jpg|The [[Peterhof Palace]] (1709–1755) in [[Petergof]]
File:Winter Palace Panorama 2.jpg|The Winter Palace, from [[Palace Square]]
File:Winter Palace Panorama 4.jpg|The Winter Palace, from [[Palace Embankment]]
</gallery>

===Scandinavia===
{{multiple image
|footer = The palaces where the Scandinavian monarchs reside.
|align = right
|width = 100

|image1 = Slottet i Oslo 1.jpg
|alt1 = 
|caption1 = The [[Royal Palace, Oslo]]

|image2 = Copenhagen amalienborg seen from opera house.jpg
|alt2 = 
|caption2 = [[Amalienborg|Amalienborg Palace]], Copenhagen

|image3 = Drottningholmpalace.jpg
|alt3 = 
|caption3 = [[Drottningholm Palace]], near Stockholm
}}
The three Scandinavian countries of [[Denmark]], [[Norway]] and [[Sweden]] all have long monarchic histories and possess several palaces. In Denmark [[Christiansborg Palace]] in Copenhagen was built as a royal palace, but is now only used for royal receptions; [[Amalienborg|Amalienborg Palace]] has been the Danish royal residence since 1794. In Norway the [[Royal Palace, Oslo|Royal Palace]] in Oslo has been used as the royal residence since 1849. In Sweden the large [[Stockholm Palace]] was built in 1760, and remains the official royal residence, but at the current time is only used for official purposes while the Swedish royal family resides in the more modest [[Drottningholm Palace]].

===Serbia===
The two dynasties of post-Ottoman Serbia, [[House of Karađorđević|Karađorđević]] and [[House of Obrenović|Obrenović]], built numerous royal residences throughout the country. The most prominent are to be found in the capital, [[Belgrade]]: the [[Stari dvor|Stari Dvor]] and [[Novi dvor| Novi Dvor]] (Old Palace and New Palace, respectively) in the downtown, and the [[Dedinje Royal Compound]] which includes the [[Kraljevski dvor|Kraljevski Dvor]] the [[Beli dvor|Beli Dvor]] (Royal Palace and White Palace, respectively) in the suburb of [[Dedinje]].

===Spain===
With over a thousand years of monarchic history, Spain has many palaces of its own that were built for different monarchs or nobles. Among these palaces is the [[Royal Palace of Madrid]], also referred to as the Palacio Real. The palace is the largest palace in Europe with over 2,800 rooms but at the current time{{When|date=November 2015}} is of use for only governmental business while the royal family resides in the smaller Palacio de la Zarzuela.

In addition to the Royal Palace of Madrid, [[Alcázar of Seville]] (which mixes, with the delicate Moorish filigree, European Christian architectural styles), the [[Alhambra]], the [[El Escorial|Monastery of San Lorenzo de El Escorial]] and the [[Royal Palace of Aranjuez]], fine baroque palace is surrounded by gardens. Currently,{{When|date=November 2015}} the royal family and prime minister live in the more modest [[Palace of Zarzuela]] and [[Palace of Moncloa]], respectively.

===United Kingdom===
{{Main|List of British royal residences}}
[[File:Windsor Castle at Sunset - Nov 2006.jpg|thumb|[[Windsor Castle]]]]
Although many [[English country house]]s can be called "palatial" in size and the richness of their contents, in the United Kingdom, by tacit agreement, the word "palace" is reserved for official residences (present or former) of the [[royal family]] or [[bishop]]s, regardless of whether located in town or country. However, not all palaces use the term in their name – see [[Windsor Castle]]. Thus the [[Palace of Beaulieu]] gained its name precisely when [[Thomas Boleyn, 1st Earl of Wiltshire|Thomas Boleyn]] sold it to [[Henry VIII of England|Henry VIII]] in 1517. Previously, it had been known as Walkfares, but like several other palaces including [[Hampton Court Palace]], the name stuck even once the royal connection ended.

[[Blenheim Palace]] was built, on a different site, in the grounds of the disused royal [[Woodstock Palace|Palace of Woodstock]], and the name was also part of the extraordinary honour <!--not honor please, as it is in the UK-->when the house was given by a grateful nation to a great general, the [[John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough|Duke of Marlborough]]. Along with several royal and [[bishop|episcopal]] palaces in the countryside, Blenheim does demonstrate that "palace" has no specific urban connotation in English. On the use of the term "palace" in the UK, [[Buckingham Palace]] was known as Buckingham House before it was acquired by the monarchy.

[[Blenheim Palace]] (in England) and [[Hamilton Palace]] (in Scotland, [[Destruction of country houses in 20th-century Britain|demolished in 1927]]) are the only non-royal and non-[[bishop|episcopal]] residences to have the word "palace" in their name, other than [[Dalkeith Palace]] in Scotland, which used to be the seat of the [[Dukes of Buccleuch]] (who descend from [[Charles II of England]]).

===Other===
[[File:Rome (29291364).jpg|thumb|right|[[Apostolic Palace]]]]
In [[continental Europe]] royal and episcopal palaces were not merely residences; the clerks who administered the realm or the diocese laboured there as well. (To this day many bishops' palaces house both their family apartments and their official offices.) However, unlike the "Palais du Justice" which is often encountered in the French-speaking world, modern British public administration buildings are never called "palaces"; although the formal name for the "Houses of [[Parliament]]" is the [[Palace of Westminster]], this reflects Westminster's former role as a royal residence and centre <!--not center please, it is in England and this is much more a UK-relevant article than a U.S. relevant one--> of administration.

In more recent years, the word has been used in a more informal sense for other large, impressive buildings, such as [[The Crystal Palace]] of 1851 (an immensely large, glazed hall erected for [[The Great Exhibition]]) and modern arenas-convention centers like [[Alexandra Palace]].

The largest in the world is the<ref>{{cite web|last1=Malathronas|first1=John|title=Palace of the damned dictator: On the trail of Ceausescu in Bucharest|url=http://www.cnn.com/2014/12/05/travel/ceausescu-trail-bucharest-romania/|website=CNN|date=5 December 2014 |access-date=27 January 2017|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170128074201/http://www.cnn.com/2014/12/05/travel/ceausescu-trail-bucharest-romania|archive-date=28 January 2017|df=dmy-all}}</ref> [[Palace of the Parliament]] in [[Bucharest]], Romania. Built during the socialist regime, no effort or expense was spared to raise this colossal neo-classic building.

== See also ==
{{Wikiquote}}
{{Commons category}}
{{Wiktionary}}
* [[Archbishop's Palace (disambiguation)]]
* [[Castle]]
* [[Great house]]
* [[Imperial castle]] (''Reichsburg'')
* ''[[Kaiserpfalz]]'' (or ''[[Königspfalz]]'')
* [[List of palaces]]
* [[Manor house]]
* [[Official residence]]
* ''[[Palas]]''
* [[Palatine Hill]]
* [[Real estate]]
* [[World's largest palace]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Royal residences]]
[[Category:Palaces| ]]