Historic Dutch tower’s roof dates to 1547
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Researchers in the Netherlands discovered the roof of the Torentje, the office of the prime minister, is an original construction from 1547.
The Rijksvastgoedbedrijf (National Government Real Estate Agency) made the finding while renovating the Binnenhof complex in The Hague. During an asbestos inspection, they uncovered the wooden roof structure and determined it had undergone minimal repair in the past 478 years.
Monument advisor Bram Hulshof noted the exceptional survival of such a wooden structure, as many similar roofs were replaced in the 19th century. Historians used dendrochronology, the study of tree rings, to confirm the wood came from oak trees felled in southern Sweden around 1546. They took core samples from ten locations to analyze the growth patterns.
The beams also feature Roman numerals, leading bouwhistoricus Patrick Bosman to believe the roof was built as a prefabricated kit in a workshop and assembled on site, much like modern IKEA furniture. Originally built in 1497, the Torentje was extensively renovated by Emperor Charles V in 1547, including the addition of the spire and its roof. It only became the prime minister’s office in 1982, previously serving as housing for a local innkeeper.
The ongoing renovation of the Binnenhof, begun in 2021, has revealed other historical finds, including an ancient gate.
