A palace is a grand residence, built for the head of the state. It is especially a royal residence, for high ranking dignitary. The palace building symbolizes the emperor. Palaces are like a big emperor with the best architect and unique things. There are many historical palaces in different countries of the world. Nowadays, some of the great palaces are used for different purpose. Like, office building, tourist hotels, parliament building. Some of them are working as museum for preserving country heritage. The article list top 10 largest palaces of the world with combined area of all floors.
#1 Palace of the Parliament / Republic’s House / People’s House/People’s Palace, Bucharest, Romania (330,000 square meters)
At top position in world ranking of largest palace is The Palace of the Parliament. This great palace is in Bucharest, Romania. The Palace reaches a height of 84 m (276 ft). It weighs about 4.10 million tonnes, making the palace as the heaviest building in the world. The palace of the parliament is also the second-largest administrative building in the world. The huge building is the work of great architect Anca Petrescu. Completed in the year 1997, with total 12 floor. The ground area for the palace is 66,000 m2 with a building size of 240 m long, 270 m wide. This make’s the palace the biggest at the top ranking of biggest palaces of the world.
#2 Hofburg Palace, Vienna, Austria (240,000 square meters)
At number two position in the world ranking of largest palaces of the world is the Hofburg palace. The palace is in the Vienna, Austria. It was built in the 13th century and expanded several times afterward. Once served as the imperial winter residence. Since 1946, it is the official residence and workplace of the president of Austria. Numerous architects have executed work at the Hofburg palace as it expanded. The Hofburg Palace also acts as a tourist attraction. It is home to several art museums and the iconic Spanish Riding School. The second-largest palace has a total area of 240,000 square meters.
#3 Louvre Palace, Paris, France (210,000 square meters)
Located in Paris, France, the Louvre Palace is the third-largest palace in the world. It is a well known palace famous for art work. The palace is to be the largest art museum in the world. The world’s most expensive painting of the Mona Lisa is a part of the art museum. The Louvre palace construction started in 1190 together with the Wall of Philip II Augustus. Since then, the palace building is modified and constructed many times. Most parts of the current building were constructed in the 17th and 19th centuries. The present-day Louvre Palace is a vast complex of wings and pavilions. The total area for the great palace of France is of 210,000 square meters.
#4 Ak Saray Presidential Complex, Ankara, Turkey (200,020 square meters)
Ak Saray Presidential Complex, commonly called as the Presidential Complex or white palace. It is the presidential residence of the Republic of Turkey. The white palace is located in the Beştepe neighborhood of Ankara, Turkey. The complex consists of the main building and two support buildings. It covers an area of 300,000 m2. Şefik Birkiye was the lead architect of the complex. The Palace has at least 1,150 rooms. The Presidential Complex is home to the country’s largest library. There are around five million books in the library.
#5 Istana Nurul Iman, Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei (200,000 square meters)
Istana Nurul Iman is the Official residence in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei.
The construction of the palace was completed in the year 1984 at a Cost of US$ 1.5 Billion.
The beautiful palace is the work of Architect Leandro V. Locsin. The interior for Istana Nurul Iman is done by Khuan Chew. Approximate, there are 17 include underground floors. This counts for the total floor area to be 2,152,782 square feet (200,000 m2). Istana Nurul Iman became the largest residential palace in the world. It is the largest single-family residence ever built.
#6 Apostolic Palace, Vatican City (162,000 square meters)
Apostolic Palace is located in Vatican City, so known as Vatican palace. It is also called as the Papal palace. The palace is the official residence of the pope, the head of the Catholic Church. Pope Sixtus V built most of the present form of the palace. The building contains the papal apartments, with various offices of the Catholic Church. Along with that, it includes Vatican Museums, and the Vatican Library. The Apostolic Palace is run by the Prefecture of the Pontifical Household. The palace is a series of self-contained buildings within the well-recognized outer structure. The modern tourist can see major part of the great palace.
#7 Forbidden City, Beijing, China (150,000 square meters)
At number seventh of top biggest palaces of the world is the Forbidden City. It is presently the Museum in Beijing, China. The palace was the former Chinese imperial palace. The Forbidden City served as the home of Chinese emperors. The great palace was the ceremonial & political center of the Chinese government. It is surrounded by numerous imperial gardens and temples. The Forbidden City was declared a World Heritage Site in 1987. The complex consists of 980 buildings, encompassing 8,886 rooms. The palace is the largest and most well-preserved ancient wooden structures in the world.
#8 Malbork Castle, Malbork, Poland (143,000 square meters)
The beautiful Castle in Malbork, Poland is among the biggest palaces of the world. It is the largest castle in the world measured by land area and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The palace is a classic example of a medieval fortress. Completed in 1406, it was the world’s largest brick castle. Malbork Castle is also one of Poland’s official national Historic Monuments. It was constructed by the Teutonic Knights, in a form of an Ordensburg fortress. With the total area of 143,000 square meters, Malbork Castle is the eighth-biggest palace of the world.
#9 Royal Palace of Madrid, Spain (135,000 square meters)
Royal palace of Madrid is the official residence of the Spanish royal family. It is located at the city of Madrid, Spain. Presently, the palace is used only for state ceremonies. The palace has 135,000 m2 of floor space and contains 3,418 rooms. It is the largest royal palace in Europe. Construction of the palace started on April 7,1735. The interior of the palace is notable for its wealth of art. Visitors can visit the palace except during state functions. The palace is owned by the Spanish state. And it is administered by a public agency of the Ministry of the Presidency.
#10 Quirinal Palace, Rome, Italy (110,500 square meters)
At number tenth position of world’s biggest palace is of Quirinal Palace. It is a historic building in Rome, Italy. The palace is one of the three official residences of the president of the Italian Republic. This palace has served as the residence for 30 popes, 4 kings and 12 presidents of the Italian Republic. It is located on the Quirinal Hill. There is a main building around the majestic courtyard. The big halls and beautiful room of palace for the dignitaries. It’s a must-visit place for most of the Italian visitors.
In this article, we tried to provide information about top 10 biggest palaces of the world. Did you find the article useful? Which palace you had been so far? From our top 10 list, Which palace you like the most? Is there a need to preserve and protect the historic palaces? Please add your valuable comments.
