Apostolic Palace

The Apostolic Palace (also: Papal Palace, Vatican Palace) is the official residence of the Pope in Vatican City. It houses next to the papal apartments and chapels and offices of the Roman Curia, as well as parts of the Vatican Museums.

The building

The palace is a complex of buildings with approximately 1,400 rooms and 55,000 m² of floor space. The palaces were built 1508-1519 by Antonio da Sangallo the Younger and extend around the central Cortile San Damaso, which was designed by Donato Bramante to 1519.

Parts of the palace are integrated into the Vatican museums ( such as the Sistine Chapel, the Chapel Niccolina, the Raphael's Rooms and the Borgia Apartment ).

Loggia of Raphael ( Photography before 1872)

Marie representation attached to a facade, under the pontificate of John Paul II ( 1978-2005 ). Also on display is his motto Totus Tuus papal ( "All of your ") and his papal coat of arms; the motto and the M in the crest refer to Mary.

2007: Pope Benedict XVI. appears the people gathered in St. Peter's Square quantity of the window of his private work room in the Apostolic Palace. Every Sunday he was praying the Angelus from there.

Operation

The papal apartments were first on the second floor, the last three windows on the right. Here is today right outside the bedroom and Death of Pope Leo XIII. ( 1878-1903 ). It is therefore remained untouched to this day, as his successor, Pius X (1903-1914) to the third floor, the rooms just above the second, moved. Here reside the popes until today. Since then, popes died in the last room on the right on the third floor: Pius X (1903-1914), Benedict XV. (1914-1922), Pius XI. (1922-1939), John XXIII. (1958-1963), John Paul I (1978 ) and John Paul II ( 1978-2005 ). The Popes Pius XII. (1939-1958) and Paul VI. (1963-1978), they always died in the papal summer residence of Castel Gandolfo. Between July and September, the Pope is just there.

Guarded the palace of the Swiss Guard.

1871 was the official summer residence of the Quirinale Palace. After the Papal States in 1870 incorporated into the Kingdom of Italy, the Quirinal Palace the residence of the king, and after 1946 the residence of the President of the Italian Republic.

Pope Francis decided after his election in April 2013, for the time being not to go to the Apostolic Palace. He still lives in the Vatican guest house, the Casa Santa Martha, where is his apartment. It uses the Apostolic Palace for the reception of state guests and for special audiences.