Leyden - Gravensteen

Diagonally opposite St Pieterskerk is the neo-classical facade of the Gravensteen, a stronghold of the Counts of Holland which in 1463 became a state prison and is now occupied by the University's faculty of law. The oldest part of the building is the two towers, which date from the 13th century, when the Gravenhof, the palace occupied by the Counts of Holland during their visits to Leiden, lay close by. The present facade was built in the 17th century, when the Gravensteen was enlarged. The last execution of a murderer took place in 1853 in the square in front of the building.