Quirinal Palace

The Palazzo del Quirinale and the square of the same name are located on Mount Quirinale, the highest of Rome's seven hills. It was originally a noble villa, which was enlarged at various times and used as a summer residence by various popes until 1870 (if we exclude the period when Napoleon took possession after occupying Rome). After that, the palace became the Roman residence of King Victor Emmanuel II and was renovated, modified and furnished with neo-Baroque and neo-Rococo furniture. Since 1946, the Quirinal Palace has housed the President of the Republic.

Inside, the Quirinal Palace boasts statues, paintings, tapestries, carriages, antique clocks, and a very rich collection of porcelain. Since 2019, works of contemporary art and design have been added, which can be seen during the "Quirinale Contemporaneo" tour.

The palace's gardens, about 4 hectares in size, date back to the 16th century and consist of a large number of plant species, some very old, well-kept flowerbeds and hedges, 34 fountains-the most famous being the Fountain of the Organ-and the elegant neoclassical-style Coffee House, dating back to the 18th century.

In Piazza Quirinale are the fountain with the imposing statues of the Dioscuri, Castor and Pollux, and the Palazzo della Consulta, erected in the 18th century and home to the Constitutional Court.

A curiosity: at 110,500 square meters, the Quirinal Palace is the sixth largest royal palace in the world, even larger than the Palace of Versailles and Buckingham Palace!

Opening times

Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday: 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. (last admission at 2:30 p.m.)

Closed Mondays and Thursdays

Price:

The palace can only be visited with a guide (in Italian). The visit takes about 1 hour and 20 minutes. Reservations required online or by calling the call center (+39 06 42012191; Monday to Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.) or by purchasing tickets at the Infopoint in Salita di Montecavallo 15 (open Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.). It is required to show up 15 minutes before the start of the visit with an ID.

Three visiting routes are available:

• Artistic-institutional route (Courtyard of Honor, Ground Floor, Main Floor and Imperial Apartments)
• Thematic route (vasella, gardens and carriages)
• Quirinale Contemporaneo (route dedicated to the collection of contemporary works of art and design objects)

The price is always 2.50 euros.