Palazzo del Quirinale

Flanking Piazza del Quirinale, this immense palazzo served as the papal summer residence for almost three centuries until the keys were begrudgingly handed over to Italy’s new king in 1870. Since 1948, it has been home of the Presidente della Repubblica, Italy’s head of state. Pope Gregory XIII (r 1572–85) originally chose the site for his holiday home and over the course of the next 150 years the top architects of the day worked on it: Domenico Fontana designed the main façade, Carlo Maderno built the chapel, and Bernini was responsible for the manica lunga (long sleeve), the austere wing that runs the length of Via del Quirinale. On the other side of the piazza, the palace’s former stables, the Scuderie Papali al Quirinale, is now a magnificent exhibition space.