Apostolic Palace | The Papal Residence and More

Relished in the beauty of the ancient era and the magnificent walls of the Apostolic Palace is the Pope's official home in Vatican City. The palace where the walls and ceilings will tell you stories of the rulers and the history of the architecture. It is a humongous construction that is spread across 55000 square metres that holds upto 1400 rooms. The Apostolic Palace is one of the largest places in the world that brings together many museums and components which are now accessible to the public.


In honour of Pope Sixtus V, the Vatican now refers to the Apostolic Palace as the Palace of Sixtus V. The palace was placed under the control of the prefect of the Apostolic palace in the 15th century. The title of Apostolic Prefect was held from the 15th century until the 1800s, when the Papal States ran into financial problems.


The palace can be seen as a great collection of magnificent architecture within the outer construction that is quite well known. Six churches are gathered together by the Palace, which is a respectable quantity for one location. These include the Pope's personal chapel and the Pauline Chapel. However, they aren't accessible to the general public. Those who are travelling the path will observe that despite the similarities, each one is distinctive . The visit to the palace is quite simple and covers a large portion to explore, and the signs indicate the course to follow. Don't be afraid of missing a room as you will always return to the main route because the passageways and adjoining rooms are either dead ends or loops. So, go on and Visit the Apostolic Palace and rejoice at the historic architecture and culture of the Vatican City.

History of The Apostolic Palace

History of The Apostolic Palace

The beauty of the Apostolic Palace History is that it will keep you hooked up to it. The Papal Palace in Vatican City was primarily constructed between 1471 and 1605. Pope Symmachus built a papal palace near the Old St. Peter's Basilica in the fifth century as a backup to the Lateran Palace, which had been their principal residence for a thousand years. The construction of a second fortified palace was financed by Pope Eugene III. In the twelfth century, Pope Innocent III made substantial changes to the palace.


In 1447, Pope Nicholas V demolished Eugene III's original fortified palace in order to construct a new one, giving birth to the modern Apostolic Palace. The Papal Palace underwent substantial renovations and embellishments during the next 150 years. Under Pope Sixtus V, work on the current version of the Apostolic residence began on April 30, 1589. His successors, Pope Urban VII, Pope Innocent XI, and Pope Clement VIII, finished the job. In the twentieth century, Pope Pius XI built an enormous art gallery and museum entrance.

Plan Your Visit to the Apostolic Palace

Timing & Location
Rules
Timing & Location
  • Timing: The best time to Visit the Apostolic Palace is during the off-seasons: November and February are both good months to try to find some calm. The opening time of Apostolic Palace is from 8:30 in the morning and operates till 4:30 in the evening from Monday to Saturday. The palace remains closed on Sundays.


  • Location: It is located in the Vatican palace, papal residence in the Vatican north of St. Peter's Basilica.


Also Read: How to Get to Vatican Museums

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FAQ's of Vatican City

How far is the Apostolic Palace from St Peter's square?

    It is a distance of 300 metres which will take around 2 minutes via Largo del Colonnato and Via Sant'Anna.

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