P341 - Holland - Binnenhof, The Hague

Binnenhof, The Hague, Holland

The Binnenhof (Dutch, literally "inner court"), is a complex of buildings in The Hague. It has been the location of meetings of the Staten-Generaal, the Dutch parliament, since 1446, and has been the centre of Dutch politics for many centuries.

The grounds on which the Binnenhof now stands were purchased by Count Floris IV of Holland in 1229, where he built his mansion, next to the little lake that has been called Hofvijver or 'Court Pond' since the 13th century. More buildings were constructed around the court, several of which are well known in their own right, such as the Ridderzaal (Great hall; literally Knight's Hall), where the queen holds her annual speech at Prinsjesdag. One of the towers, simply known as het Torentje ('the Little Tower'; directly next to the Mauritshuis museum) has been the office of the Prime Minister of the Netherlands since 1982.

This 'Inner Court' is studded with monumental old buildings testifying of eight centuries of governing in the Low Countries, but it also has several ample open spaces, all freely open to the public. A gilt neogothic fountain adorns the main square and one of the few Dutch equestrian statues (of King William II) guards the main Stadtholder's Gate, that dates from around 1600.
A large modern building at the south side of the Binnenhof since 1992 houses the House of Representatives, the lower but more important of the Dutch democratically elected Houses of parliament.

内庭（荷蘭文：Binnenhof，意为"inner court")，是位于海牙的一栋建筑综合体。自1446年起，它即为荷兰国会（Staten-Generaal）开会之所，也即许多世纪以来荷兰的政治中心。

内庭所建于其上之地皮为荷兰的弗洛里斯四世伯爵购于1229年，他于此地建了其住宅，自13世纪起它与现称Hofvijver（'Court Pond'，即“庭池”）的小湖相邻。更多的建筑物被构筑于该庭周围，其中若干建筑以其名号广为人知，如骑士厅（Ridderzaal，字面意思为Knight's Hall，是大厅（Great hall）），女王于每年亲王日（Prinsjesdag）在此进行一年一度的王座演说（speech from the throne）。其众塔之一，俗称het Torentje ('the Little Tower'，即“小塔”；紧挨着莫理斯住宅皇家美术馆) 自1982年起已成为荷兰首相的办公室。

这座“内庭”由具有纪念意义的见证了8个世纪低地国家之统治的老建筑物点缀其中，但它也有若干空旷的开放空间，它们都自由地向公众开放。一座镀金的新哥特式喷泉装点着主广场，少数荷兰骑马雕像（equestrian statue）之一（乃国王威廉二世之像）守卫着执政门（Stadtholder's Gate），后者之历史可溯至约1600年。
一座自1992年起即立于内庭南侧的大型现代建筑物乃荷兰国会二院，即下议院也是荷兰民主选举之议院。

References sources : Wikipedia