Once a palace of the Klungkung Regency, Taman Gili is a building complex located in Semarapura. Within its walls sits a cluster of historical structures from the 17th century, when Klungkung was still considered to be the highest and most revered of Bali’s nine kingdoms. Today, what remain in the archaic palace compound are the Kerta Gosa, the old kingdom’s court of justice, where the King of Klungkung and his ministers would meet to discuss matters of law. Bale Kambang, a floating pavilion that shows scenes from a royal wedding and the story of Sutasoma, a Buddhist saint. A small museum that features a rather motley collection of stone artifacts with one gallery dedicated to the works of Emilio Ambron (Florence and Klungkung are sister cities)– all else was destroyed during the Dutch colonial conquest in 1908.

Kerta Gosa, the court of justice, is swathed in beautiful floor-to-ceiling murals, depicting various karmic punishments in the afterlife, on display for convicts awaiting their sentence. The ceiling paintings of Kerta Gosa are a wonderful example of the Kamasan style of art.