Apostolic Palace
The Apostolic Palace (also: Papal Palace , Vatican Palace ) is the official residence of the Pope in the Vatican City . In addition to the papal apartments, it also houses chapels and offices of the Roman Curia as well as parts of the Vatican Museums. It is not to be confused with the Lateran Palace in the official papal seat of Lateran, about five kilometers to the east .
The building
The palace is a building complex with around 1,400 rooms and 55,000 m² of floor space. The building, used today as the papal residence, was built by Antonio da Sangallo the Elder in 1508–1519 . J. built and extends around the central Cortile San Damaso , which was designed by Donato Bramante until 1519 .
Older parts of the palace are integrated into the Vatican Museums (for example the Sistine Chapel , the Cappella Niccolina , the Raphael Rooms and the Appartamento Borgia ).
Fresco by Giorgio Vasari in the Sala Regia , approx. 1571–1574. Depiction of the return of Pope Gregory XI. 1377 from Avignon .
Representation of the Virgin Mary on a facade, attached under the pontificate of John Paul II (1978–2005). You can also see his papal motto Totus Tuus ("All of yours") and his papal coat of arms; the motto and the M in the coat of arms refer to Maria.
2007: Pope Benedict XVI. shows himself to the crowd gathered in St. Peter's Square at the window of his study in the Apostolic Palace. Every Sunday the Pope prays the Angelus from there .
business
The papal apartments were initially on the second floor, the last three windows on the right. The bedroom and death room of Pope Leo XIII is still located here on the far right . (1878-1903). It has therefore remained untouched to this day, since his successor, Pius X. (1903–1914) moved to the third floor, the room just above the second. The popes resided here until 2013. Since then, the following popes have died in the last room on the right on the third floor: Pius X. (1903–1914), Benedict XV. (1914-1922), Pius XI. (1922-1939), Johannes XXIII. (1958–1963), John Paul I (1978) and John Paul II (1978–2005). The Popes Pius XII. (1939-1958) and Paul VI. (1963–1978) each died in the papal summer residence Castel Gandolfo . The Pope is there between July and September.
The palace is guarded by the Swiss Guard .
Until 1871, the official summer residence was the Quirinal Palace . After the Papal State was annexed to the Kingdom of Italy in 1870 , the Quirinal Palace became the residence of the king and, after 1946, the residence of the President of the Italian Republic .
After his election in April 2013, Pope Francis decided not to move into the Apostolic Palace for the time being. He continues to live in the Vatican guest house, Casa Santa Marta , where his apartment is located. He uses the Apostolic Palace to receive state guests and for special audiences.
See also
Web links
Individual evidence
- ^ Cortile San Damaso. In: arch INFORM ; Retrieved December 1, 2009.
Coordinates: 41 ° 54 ′ 12.8 " N , 12 ° 27 ′ 22.6" E