Parliament (Houses of Parliament) - details and images
Westminster Palace is known as the Houses of Parliament, the place where the House of Parliament of Great Britain UK-Northern Ireland: House of Lords and House of Commons. It is included in the Word Heritage Sites by UNESCO, with Westminster Abbey and St. Margaret Church. Has two towers of ~ 100m: Victoria Tower and the famous Big Ben clock tower.
Royalist resistance in 1547 moved to Whitehall Palace, but the Lords continued to meet at Westminster, while the House of Commons meet in St. Stephen's Chapel. Since those ancient times, the Palace of Westminster was the home of English Parliament. In 1834 a fire broke out and managed to destroy much of the old palace, all that remained was the chapel crypt, tower and Westminster Hall. Westminster Hall was saved even by Lord Melbourne, Prime Minister of that time, which required fire-fighting pumps to be located right in the room and who personally supervised the fire fighting operation.
Renascestist Gothic architectural masterpiece you can see today was built between 1840 and 1888 by Charles Barry who designed the building so as to match the Westminster Abbey, which is located nearby. The two imposing towers, well-known tourist attractions in London, Big Ben clock tower is Victoria Tower on top of which the flag is hoisted when Parliament is in session. Many of the Victorian-style interior arrangements were created by Barry assistant Augustus Pugin.
Westminster Hall Entry is permitted only with accompanying guide. Hall can be seen from the terrace above St. Stephen. Westminster Hall measures 73 feet long and 18 meters wide, and the dome-shaped roof is oak. These things make Westminster Hall to be one of the most imposing medieval halls in Europe. In this place full of nobility and history were held bacheturi coronation ceremonies occasioned by the year 1821. The highest court of justice in England was there until the nineteenth century. Statue of Oliver Cromwell who resides outside the room, remembers that in 1653, he was named Lord Protector.
To get to the upper chambers of Westminster Hall, tourists must pass through the huge wooden doors of St. Stephen's Hall. The walls and ceiling are decorated by Barry Designed to replace the medieval chapel which is encompassed House of Commons until 1834. Then comes the central lobby whose walls are inlaid in Latin mottos. This is where MPs meet with their supporters or between them and where is "lobbying" for some laws and ideas. From this lobby can be reached in the House of Lords or the House of Commons.
House of Commons was destroyed by an incendiary bomb in 1941. Reconstruction after the original design taken from Barry's Chapel St Stephen, the old place where the House of Commons meeting, was carried through in 1950. The way they are placed in the House of Commons seats, recalls placing a choir. Members of the ruling party to stand in banks, while the opposition and its most prominent members are the exact opposite. Distance between banks is marked on the floor with red stripes and is exactly two sword lengths and one leg. Members of the House of Commons are not allowed to cross these lines, thus ensuring that debates are conducted in a civilized manner. In the center, on the House floor mass is found, there is placed the scepter of chairing meetings of the Chamber.
House of Lords is decorated with gold and red and really has all the grandeur that anyone could expect from such a room. Here in the House of Lords, Her Majesty the Queen came to open the parliamentary session in November of each year. Golden Throne that dominates the room, which is the Queen opening speech of the parliamentary session. Lord Chancellor sits opposite, the well known "bag of wool" - a bright red cushion stuffed with wool high. Lord Chancellor sits on this bag of wool to follow a tradition that dates back to the Middle Ages, when the product exported to England it was the most abundant wool.
Tourists wishing to visit the Houses of Parliament should go over to St. Stephen's entrance where visiting groups are formed. The House of Commons debates take place Monday, Tuesday and Thursday at 2:30 pm and Wednesday and Friday from 9:30 am. The busy and exciting time when you can visit the Houses of Parliament is the Prime Minister during the hearing. To assist in this time but prior reservation is required by the embassy or consulate. Hearing the Prime Minister is held Wednesdays from 12 to 12:30 pm.
House of Lords is in session Monday through Wednesday at 2:30 pm and 3 pm Thursday. If the House of Lords also meet on Friday, meeting starts at 11 am. Both cameras come in parliamentary recess for Christmas, Easter and from August to mid October.
Aces in the meetings of Parliament is free, but in some cases might have to pay for a guide. The nearest underground station is Westminster.
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