The
Apostolic Palace, which is also called the Papal
Palace or the Palace of the Vatican, is the
official residence of the Pope in the Vatican
City.
The
Apostolic palace is a complex of buildings, including
the Papal Apartment,
the Roman Catholic church's government offices,
a handful of chapels, the Vatican Museum and the
Vatican library. In the Palace there are more than
1,000 rooms with the most known comprising the Sistine
Chapel and its renowned ceiling frescoes painted
by Michelangelo (restored between 1980-1990) and
Raphael's Rooms.
Some
other papal residences are at the Lateran Palace and
the Castel Gandolfo outside Rome.
The
Quirinal Palace was the Pope's official residence,
before 1871. After the final overthrow of the Papal
States in 1870, the King of Italy confiscated that
palace in 1871, making it the king's official residence;
after the abolition of the Italian monarchy in 1946,
it became the President of the Italian Republic's
residence.
