The seat of the Italian Senate since 1871, Palazzo Madama was originally the 16th-century residence of Giovanni de’ Medici, the future Pope Leo X. The name ‘Madama’ refers to Margaret of Parma, the illegitimate daughter of the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, who lived here from 1559 to 1567.
The building is open to visits on selected weekends – see senato.it/en/relations-public/visit-senate/private-citizens for dates.
