Royal Palace

About

Museum Prinsenhof Delft occupies a building that began as the Sint Agathaklooster convent roughly 600 years ago. In 1572, William of Orange made it his base for leading the revolt against Spanish rule, and he was assassinated there on July 10, 1584 — bullet holes from the attack are still visible in the wall today. Its life as a museum began in 1887, when the Rijksmuseum de Historische Zaal opened within the building, followed by the founding of the separate Gemeentemuseum Delft in 1897. The municipal museum's collection moved into the Prinsenhof complex in 1906, and in 1947 the two museums merged; after extensive renovation, it reopened in 1948 as the Stedelijk Museum het Prinsenhof. The collection includes paintings, ceramics, and household objects related to William of Orange, his descendants, and the revolt, as well as to the building's history as a convent and princely residence, including Delft Blue pottery. The museum is currently closed temporarily for major renovation.