Oude Stadhuis (Old City Hall), Hague

In 1566 Lodovico Guicciardini was a famous Italian merchant and writer living in Gent. He happened to visit the Hague in his travels and he referred to it as "...the biggest village in Europe." To Lodovico, if a town did not have a wall, it was a village. Because of that reasoning the city hall seemed overly grand to him.

Old City Hall was built in the renaissance style in 1565. It is close by the Grote Kerk (Great Church) on the Groenmarkt. It used to be the seat of government of the city. Today the rooms are used for weddings, especially Royal Weddings.

The Old City Hall is modeled on the City Hall of Antwerp. It is considered among the most important renaissance buildings in Northern Holland. The interior has experienced a number of changes especially the restoration of the interior decorations.

Statues on the facade were made before 1742 by Jan Baptiste Xavery. They portray Faith, Hope, Love, Strength, and Justice. Paintings by the Confrerie Pictura, an academic club of artists founded in 1656 are found within the Hall.