Palaces

1935: Sights (Design - L Sowinski; Engraving - M R Polak)

The Belweder Palace in Polish or Belvedere Palace (Italian for beautiful sight or view). In the 20th Century it was the home of the Presidents of Poland.

1931: Marshal Jósef Pilsudski

The first of whom was Jósef Pilsudski (1867-1935) although his title uniquely was more grand - Chief of State and First Marshall of Poland, it was his home from 1926 to 1935 and where he died. The neo-classical palace was one of the few structures to survive World War 2 in Warsaw.

1927: Royal Palace

This one didn't. The first palace built on the site in the 13th Century was completely destroyed when liberating Buda from the Turks and replaced

1926: Royal Palace

in the 18th Century by the baroque version above which was badly damaged in World War 2 and rebuilt in the Neo Baroque style using many original parts. It now houses the Hungarian National Gallery. 

1967: Paintings in the National Gallery, Budapest (2nd Series)

where one may gaze at Samuel Lányi (1792-1860) cartographer, water engineer and artist. This self portrait with a Jacobin or phrygian cap is one of his most famous.  By chance that revolutionary cap ties in nicely with the next stamp

1946-48: Views

Another palace that houses an art gallery is the Palais de Luxembourg although technically it is in the Orangery which they don't tell you, no wonder we spent a long time prowling around the palace to find the way in.

1961: Tourist Publicity

A place on my 'must see' list, Knossos on Crete abandoned for reasons unknown in 1380-1100 BC.

1956: Views of Peking (Designer - Shao Bolin)

Another of my 'must sees' is the Forbidden City in Beijing although possibly most unlikely I will ever get there but here is the Tai Ho Palace or as it is more commonly known the Hall of Supreme Harmony.

2010: 300th Anniversary of the Foundation of Tsarkoe Selo (Designer - A Drobyshev)

The Russians know how to build opulent palaces and here is the Alexander Palace in Tsarkoe Selo, 15 miles south of St Petersburg and today part of the town of Pushkin.  This was the last Russian imperial family's favourite palace and is where they were ultimately imprisoned.  The stamp is from an attractive miniature sheet seen here.

I will finish with a palace in London that still has a royal family in occupation

2014: Buckingham Palace (Design - Howard Brown)

   and a stamp set

that shows Buckingham Palace through the ages.

This week's Sunday Stamps II prompt is the letter P - here for Poland, Portrait, Phrygian, Pilsudski and Palaces - promenade over to See It On A Postcard