Erected in 1648 as a City Hall, this building was turned into a royal palace by Louis Bonaparte in 1808, following a fire. The imposing but ungraceful rectangular building rests on 13 659 piles. Above the east and west facades there are fine sculpted tympanums. The interior is home to a maze of halls and drawing rooms decorated with fine statuary, including the impressive Citizens' Hall which boasts a marble floor depicting a map of the world.