The name Ananta Samakhom was taken from a previous building that had deteriorated and was no longer usable. The foundation stone was placed by His Majesty King Chulalongkorn on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of his ascension to the throne.
The Ananda Samakhom Throne Hall is the beautiful white building facing the Royal Plaza where the statue of H.M. King Chulalongkorn ( Rama V )stands.
The design and construction was supervised by Chao Phraya Yommaraj, with a team of Italian architects, engineers and painters. It took nine years to complete the building, which is designed in Italian Renaissance style. The exterior is decorated with marble imported from Carrara in Italy.
As beautiful as the exterior is, it is the exquisite paintings inside that really take your breath away. These paintings, by Mr. C. Riguli and Prof. G. Chini, trace the history of the Chakri Dynasty from Kings Rama I to Rama VI.
The north side dome is painted to depict King Rama I on his return from a battle in a neighboring country, while the eastern dome has paintings of Kings Rama II and Rama III and their support for the arts.
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