stroyed by fire in 1794, and rebuilt, again fell in flames in 1884.
Fortunately most of the art treasures which the palace contained were
saved. A decision was arrived at in 1903, in commemoration of the
jubilee of the reign of Christian IX., to rebuild the palace for use on
occasions of state, and to house the parliament. On the Slottsplads
(Palace Square) which faces east, is an equestrian statue of Frederick
VII. There are also preserved the bronze statues which stood over the
portal of the palace before the fire--figures of Strength, Wisdom,
Health and Justice, designed by Thorvaldsen. The palace chapel, adorned
with works by Thorvaldsen and Bissen, was preserved from the fire, as
was the royal library of about 540,000 volumes and 20,000 manuscripts,
for which a new building in Christiansgade was designed about 1900.

The exchange (_Borsen_), on the quay to the east, is an ornate gabled
building erected in 1619-1640, surmounted by a remarkable spire, formed
of four dragons, with their heads directed to the four points of the
compass, and their bodies entwining each other till their tails come to
a point at the top. To the south is the arsenal (_Tojhus_) with a
collection of ancient armour.

The Thorvaldsen museum (1839-1848), a sombre building in a combination
of the Egyptian and Etruscan styles, consists of two storeys. In the
centre is an open court, containing the artist's tomb. The exterior
walls are decorated with groups of figures of coloured stucco,
illustrative of events connected with Thorvaldsen's life. Over the
principal entrance is the chariot of Victory drawn by four horses,
executed in bronze from a model by Bissen. The front hall, corridors and
apartments are painted in the Pompeian style, with brilliant colours and
with great artistic skill. The museum contains about 300 of
Thorvaldsen's works; and in one apartment is his sitting-room furniture
arranged as it was found at the time of his death in 1844.

On the mainland, immediately west of the Slottsholm, is the Prinsens
Palais, once the residence of Christian V. and Frederick VI. when crown
princes, containing the national museum. This consists of four sections,
the Danish, ethnographical, antique and numismatic. It was founded in
1807 by Professor Nyerup, and extended between 1815 and 1885 by C. J.
Thomsen and J. J. A. Worsaae, and the ethnographical collection is among
the finest in the world. From this point the Raadhusgade leads
north-west to