What is the Apostolic Palace?
Q: What is the Apostolic Palace?
A: The Apostolic Palace, also called the Papal Palace or the Palace of the Vatican, is the official residence of the Pope in the Vatican City.
Q: What buildings make up the Palace?
A: The Palace is a complex of buildings that includes the Papal Apartment, the Catholic Church's government offices, a handful of chapels, the Vatican Museum, and the Vatican library.
Q: How many rooms are in the Palace?
A: There are over 1,000 rooms in the Palace.
Q: What are the most famous rooms in the Palace?
A: The most famous rooms in the Palace are the Sistine Chapel, with its renowned ceiling frescoes painted by Michelangelo (restored between 1980-1990), and Raphael's Rooms.
Q: What are the other papal residences?
A: The other papal residences are at the Lateran Palace and the Castel Gandolfo outside Rome.
Q: What was the Pope's official residence before 1871?
A: Before 1871, the Quirinal Palace was the Pope's official residence.
Q: Who took over the Quirinal Palace after the final overthrow of the Papal States in 1870?
A: After the final overthrow of the Papal States in 1870, the King of Italy confiscated the Quirinal 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.
