Quirinal Palace

The Quirinal Palace was built and completed under the pontificate of Paul V by the architect Flaminio Ponzio, who designed the part of the Palace facing the garden, including the Holy Stairs, the Salone delle Feste and the Cappellina dell’Annunziata. After Ponzio died, Carlo Maderno took over and completed the wing towards the Via del Quirinale.

The Palace stands on the Quirinal Hill, the original site of the temples built in the honour of the god Quirinus and the Goddess of Health.

The architectural structure and furnishings have remained virtually unaltered since 1946; in fact, the President of the Republic set down conservation and revaluation criteria for protecting the Quirinal’s 400 years of cultural heritage.

The Palace was the Pope’s summer residence until 1870, when Rome was annexed to the Kingdom of Italy and it became the King’s residence.

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