Fodor's Expert Review Palazzo del Quirinale
Pope Gregory XIII started building this spectacular palace, now the official residence of Italy's president, in 1574. He planned to use it as a summer home, but less than 20 years later, Pope Clement VIII made the palace—safely elevated above the malarial miasmas shrouding the low-lying location of the Vatican—the permanent papal residence, which it remained until 1870. The palace underwent various expansions and alterations over time.
In 1870, when Italian troops under Garibaldi stormed Rome, making it the capital of the newly united Italy, the popes moved back to the Vatican, and the Palazzo del Quirinale became the official residence of the kings of Italy. After the Italian people voted out the monarchy in 1946, the palazzo passed to the presidency of the Italian Republic.
To go inside, you must prebook a guided tour (in Italian only, although materials in English can be purchased) and present an ID on entry. Outside the gates, you can see the changing of the military... READ MORE
Pope Gregory XIII started building this spectacular palace, now the official residence of Italy's president, in 1574. He planned to use it as a summer home, but less than 20 years later, Pope Clement VIII made the palace—safely elevated above the malarial miasmas shrouding the low-lying location of the Vatican—the permanent papal residence, which it remained until 1870. The palace underwent various expansions and alterations over time.
In 1870, when Italian troops under Garibaldi stormed Rome, making it the capital of the newly united Italy, the popes moved back to the Vatican, and the Palazzo del Quirinale became the official residence of the kings of Italy. After the Italian people voted out the monarchy in 1946, the palazzo passed to the presidency of the Italian Republic.
To go inside, you must prebook a guided tour (in Italian only, although materials in English can be purchased) and present an ID on entry. Outside the gates, you can see the changing of the military guard at 4 pm on Sunday (at 6 pm June through August). You might also glimpse the impressive presidential guard.
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