The official reception palace of King Willem-Alexander was originally built to serve as Amsterdam’s town hall. One of the most impressive buildings in the Netherlands, it is a perfect example of the splendour and the power of the Netherlands in the 17th century, officially known as the Dutch Golden Age. Designed by the architect Jan van Campen, the former town hall stands on 13,659 wooden posts! It is decorated with exquisite paintings and sculptures by popular artists of the time, such as Ferdinand Bol (1616-1680) and Govert Flinck (1615-1660), whose intention was to narrate the history of the city and its role as the trade and financial centre of the world. The statue of Atlas,on the rear of the building and the statue of Peace, on the front elevation, flanked by the representations of Wisdom and Justice, the virtues of good governance, pay tribute to the prosperity of the city and its strategic position.