Huis Bartolotti, Renaissance canal house on Herengracht, Netherlands
Huis Bartolotti is a canal residence with a wide curved facade spanning five floors, decorated with sculptural vases, balusters, and medallions. Inside, marble fireplaces, hand-painted wall coverings, and a gilded hall from the 18th century show how merchants displayed their wealth.
A wealthy merchant named Willem Bartolotti van den Heuvel commissioned this house from architect Hendrick de Keyser in 1622. Two centuries later, the interior was redesigned in rococo style, but the building itself survived intact to the present day.
The house reflects how wealthy merchants lived in the 17th century, with lavishly furnished rooms that passed through generations. The carefully kept furniture and artworks show the daily routines and tastes of families from that era.
The house is open Wednesday through Sunday with audio guides available to explore the rooms. Entry is through a narrow doorway, so plan to move slowly and carefully through the tight hallways and steep staircases inside.
This was one of the first houses in Amsterdam to feature a distinctive neck-gable design that later became standard across the city. The two large corner chimneys rise so high above the roofline that they became the most recognizable part of the building's shape.
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