Lentorama 2026: Hic es: aedificia Vaticani 

Day 38 - Apostolic Palace

Once again the home of the pope, the Apostolic Palace is actually a collection of buildings, some of which we've already discussed (like the Vatican Museums). There's been a papal palace going back to the fifth century and Pope Symmachus, who built a palace close to old St. Peter's (prior to that popes lived in the Lateran Palace).

After the Avignon papacy the papal palace had fallen into disrepair, and the Lateran Palace had suffered two significant fires. In 1447 Nicholas V knocked down the old palace (built by Eugene III in the 12th century) and started construction on the current one, though the palace as we'd recognize it today was mostly shaped by Sixtus V (with the building sometimes referred to formally as the Palace of Sixtus V).

The palace complex has a number of notable artistic areas, including:

* The Borgia Apartments, a suite of rooms created and designed for Alexander VI, one of the Borgia popes. 

* The Raphael Rooms, originally intended as an apartment for Julius II, decorated with a number of frescoes by Raphael and his team.

* Clementine Hall, built by Clement VIII to honor Clement I, also notably decorated with frescoes

* The current papal apartments, located on the top floor of the palace, home to all popes (save Francis) since 1870

* The Sistine Chapel... which I'll talk about tomorrow.