The Trêveszaal is the pride of the Binnenhof,

which is saying something, because the entire complex in the democratic heart of The Netherlands is worth seeing and the interiors are not only varied but also, without exception, impressively decorated. The Trêveszaal, which once radiated the power, strength, courage, and unity of the Netherlands at that time, now serves primarily to underscore the importance of decorum and authority in national politics. That is why it is such a pity that only a few people can see and experience the hall ‘in real life’. Those privileged few are mainly the members of the Council of Ministers (and their immediate staff), because they are the ones who meet there… Is it because they feel extra aware of their authority and responsibility in this setting? 

This book allows ‘ordinary citizens’ to see and experience the Trêveszaal, because it is primarily a visual report. The camera has meticulously captured all the beauty that can be discovered in the Trêveszaal. A story is told around the images, about the Trêveszaal itself and about the eighty-year Dutch Revolt against Spanish rule, which was the reason for giving the reception rooms on the Hofvijver side a ‘makeover’ at the end of the seventeenth century. Attention is paid to Daniël Marot, the French architect and decorator who determined so much of the appearance and interior of buildings in The Hague, and who turned the Trêveszaal into a ‘dream of a room’.

“Dreaming in the Twilight of the Ages – Dromen in de schaduw der eeuwen” will be published in Dutch and released during the European Heritage Days 2025.

Order your copy here.