The Palace of Westminster almost sounds glamorous, but the title hides the actual work done in the building. The building is called "The Houses of Parliament," and it is where the House of Commons and the House of Lords meet to do the government's business in the United Kingdom.
A building to house the government was first constructed about 1,000 years ago, and served as a royal palace. That changed a little more than 500 years ago, when a fire wiped out the royal apartments in 1512. The ruling family moved out, but Parliament continued to meet there as it had since the 1300s. Another fire came along in 1834 - London sure has had a lot of big fires - and construction on a new place started in 1840. It took 30 years, but the new building eventually was completed.
As you might expect, the building was a target of German bombers during World War II, and it took 14 separate hits. But it was rebuilt after the war, and the government eventually expanded into some nearby buildings when office space was needed.
The place has been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site, as you'd expect. Tours are given to visitors. It's not cheap, as the price is at $79 as of this writing. At least it contains an audio guide.
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