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Today there are two palace complexes in Belgrade, - the one in town comprising the Old Palace (Stari dvor) and the New Palace (Novi dvor), and the one in Dedinje, which includes the Royal Palace (Kraljevski dvor) and the White Palace (Beli dvor).
The Old Palace
The Old Palace, which was the home of the Serbian Obrenović dynasty was built between 1882 and 1884 and designed by the architect Aleksandar Bugarski in the Academic style of the 19th century. It was built with the intention of surpassing all the previous residences of Serbian rulers, for use by the newly created Kingdom of Serbia with King Milan Obrenović as head of state. After reconstruction following the heavy damaged suffered during both world wars the appearance of the Palace differs significantly from the original design.
From 1903 to 1914 the Palace was the residence of the Karađorđević dynasty. From 1919 to 1920, sessions of the interim National Assembly were held there and right up until 1941 it was used for court entertainment and receptions for high ranking foreign visitors. Renovation after the Second World War took until 1947, after which it housed, in turn, the Presidium of the National Assembly, the government offices of the Federal National Republic of Yugoslavia, the Federal Executive Council, and since 1961 it has been the home of Belgrade City Assembly.
The external architecture of the building makes it one of the most beautiful creations of the Academic architecture of the 19th century in Serbia. The most elaborate section is the façade facing the garden with its protruding terraces which give a closer link to the garden. The most characteristic motives on this façade are the Caryatids at first floor level, which stand above the terrace at the ends of the façade and carry the richly ornamented tympanums of the windows at each end. The caryatids appear again on the façade facing Kralja Milana, and below them are a row of palace columns. On the façade that faces the garden the columns alternate with richly decorated windows.
From the central hall one enters first into the Red Drawing Room where your attention will probably be drawn most of all by the Portrait of a Girl ("Portret devojke") painted by Đura Jakšić in 1862. On the left as you enter the Yellow Drawing Room a facsimile of a letter from Pope John VIII dated 16th April 878, the oldest written document mentioning the Slavic name of Belgrade, 'Beograd', is displayed. In the adjoining Yellow Drawing Room there are a number of exquisite paintings by Sava Šumanović, Jovan Bijelić, Petar Lubarda, Miodrag-Bata Mihailović, Ljuba Lah, Jovan Zonjić, Peđa Milosavljević, Peter Omčikus and Vasa Pomorišac, as well as sculptures in wood by Rista Stijović. From the Yellow Drawing Room one enters the Ceremonial Hall, a ballroom which leads out onto the terrace. The interior of the Drawing Room was designed by Belgrade City Museum in the 19th century and is in the spirit of the times when the palace was built.
Today the Old Palace houses the Belgrade City Assembly and the Mayor's Office.
www.beograd.org.yu
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