Which palace is the official residence of the Pope. Apostolic palace

The Papal Palace, also known as the Vatican or Apostolic Palace, is the residence of the Holy Pope in the Vatican. In official documents, the object appears under the name Palace Sixtus V.? Look on the map.

The complex of buildings includes government Roman Catholic offices, the Papal Apartments, the Library, several chapels, and the Vatican Museums. On the third floor, there are audience rooms, including the Hall of Consistories, the Clementine Hall, the Papal Library ( Personal Area Popes for private visits), the Great and Small Throne Rooms. A little higher are occupied by the staff of the papal secretariat.

In total, the palace has over a thousand rooms in which masterpieces of culture are kept: the famous ceiling frescoes by Michelangelo, the Sistine Chapel de Dolci, and Raphael's Stanza.

Until the moment when the capital of Italy was moved to Rome, the Quirinal Palace was the summer residence of His Holiness. There is a summer residence in the town of Castel Gandolfo, the other is in the Lateran Palace.

All roads lead to the Papal Palace

All the streets of the Vatican lead to the Apostolic Palace (Residenza Papale), famous for its ornate rooms. In the center of Piazza della Liberta, there is an unremarkable fountain that blocks the view of the cathedral. Bernini worked on this complex of structures. The square got its name after the process of unification of Italy in the 19th century. If the dear reader is not one of the high-ranking members of the Pope's retinue, then the palace castles will be inaccessible for inspection. Therefore, travelers can only enjoy photographing the Swiss guards: the striped guard of the Vatican to this day prefers an old uniform, which is sewn according to Michelangelo's sketches.

The palace has 20 courtyards, over two hundred stairs, 12 thousand rooms. The irregular quadrangle, stretching from south to north, has an east longitudinal and west façade formed by two galleries that link the Vatican to the Belvedere. Between them are the Braccio Nuovo and Bibliotechnaya galleries with three courtyards. The closest to the Vatican is the Belvedere. The third courtyard is decorated with the Giardino delle Pigna garden. Another large garden of Girardino Pontifico lies west of the palace, on the hillside. It was there that Pirro Ligorio built the villa of Pope Pius IV.

Belvedere Palace

The Belvedere Palace currently houses the Pia Clementine Museum. V museum complex There are two vestibules: a round one with a panoramic view of Rome, and a quadrangular one with the famous Belvedere torso of Hercules. In the immediate vicinity of the circular lobby, you can find a statue of the mythical hunter in the Meleager room. From here, tourists enter the courtyard, which is surrounded by a portico with 16 supporting columns. Altars, sarcophagi, bas-reliefs, antique-style fonts are installed under the portico. Recognizable statues are placed in the niches: Laocoon and Sons, Mercury, Perseus Canova, Apollo Belvedere.

It is followed by the Gallery of Statues, where the monuments of Apollo of Savrokton, Sleeping Ariadne, Cupid Praxitel stand out. Passing through the hall of the Animals with statues of them, you can get to the hall of the Muses. The room, surrounded by 16 marble columns, contains a statue of Apollo of Massaget and the muses found in Tivoli. This is followed by the Round Hall with statues of Hercules, Ceres, Juno and Antinous; the hall of the Greek cross, where St. Constance and Helena are buried.

Further, the stairs lead us to the Egyptian Museum, which was founded by Pope Pius VII. A little further, on the second floor, there is the Etruscan Museum, the Candelabrum gallery. The museum was created on the initiative of Gregory XVI. He is famous richest exhibits ancient Italian culture, stored in 13 rooms.

Apostolic Palace(also called Vatican palace or Papal palace) - the official residence of the Pope, located in the Vatican. Official name - Sixtus V Palace(eng. Palace of sixtus v ).

The complex of buildings of the Apostolic Palace includes the Papal Apartments, government offices of the Roman Catholic Church, several chapels, the Vatican Museums and the Vatican Library. The audience rooms are located on the 3rd floor of the palace, including the Clementine Hall, the Hall of Consistories, the Great and Small Throne Rooms, the Papal Library (the Pope's office and the room for private audiences). The fourth floor houses the premises of the papal secretariat. The palace has more than 1000 rooms that are world renowned for their greatest works of art: the Sistine Chapel and its famous ceiling frescoes by Michelangelo (restored in -) and Raphael's Stanza.

Before the transfer of the capital of Italy to Rome, the Quirinal Palace served as the Pope's summer residence. Another papal residence is located in the Lateran Palace, and in the town of Castel Gandolfo there is a country summer residence.

Construction history

Plan of the northern part of the Apostolic Palace (Rodolfo Lanciani, 1893-1901).

Plan of the southern part of the Apostolic Palace (Rodolfo Lanciani, 1893-1901).

There is no exact information about the beginning of the construction of the Vatican Palace: some attribute it to Constantine the Great, others attribute the original construction to the time of Pope Symmachus (6th century). It is only certain that during the arrival of Charlemagne to Rome for the coronation, the palace on the Vatican Hill served as the residence of Pope Leo III; but then the palace was launched, and the residence of the pope was transferred to the Lateran Palace. Only since the return of the popes from Avignon (1377) does the Vatican become permanent papal residence and is expanding with a number of grand outbuildings.

Under Sixtus IV (1471), the famous Sistine Chapel was built. Under Innocent VIII (1490), the Belvedere Palace was erected near the Vatican, which by the architect Bramante was connected to the Vatican by two magnificent galleries, on behalf of Pope Julius II (1503). Bramante were also started surrounding the courtyard of St. Damaza lodges, which were later completed and painted by Raphael and his students. Pope Paul III built the Paulin Chapel and next to it the so-called. Royal Hall (Sala regia). Under Pius IV and Gregory XIII, the northern and eastern wings of the lodges appeared, and Sixtus V built a transverse gallery, which houses the Vatican Library. Clement XIV and Pius VI fundamentals. t. n. The Pio Clementine Museum, and Pius VII the Chiaramonti Museum and held a second transverse gallery, the so-called. Braccio Nuovo (1817-22). Gregory XVI founded the Etruscan and Egyptian museums, and finally Pope Pius IX covered the Raphael Lodge with a glass roof and built the fourth wall of the courtyard of St. Damaza.

Description of the palace

The Vatican Palace is not a homogeneous architectural whole; it is a collection of palaces, halls, galleries, chapels, in style and time of construction belonging to different eras and containing an unparalleled collection of treasures of architecture, painting and sculpture. The palace has up to 20 courtyards, more than 200 staircases and 12,000 rooms. In appearance, it is an irregular quadrangle stretching from south to north in an oblique direction from the church of St. Peter. The longitudinal - east and west - facades are formed by two galleries connecting the old Vatican with the Belvedere. The space between these galleries is divided by two transverse galleries: Bibliotechnaya and Braccio Nuovo into 3 courtyards. The first, closest to the Vatican, is called the Belvedere. In the 3rd courtyard, there is the Giardino della Pigna garden. Another large garden (Girardino Pontifico) is located to the west of the palace, on the hillside, where is the villa of Pope Pius IV (villa Pia), built by Pirro Ligorio.

The southern (oldest) part of the palace

The main entrance is from the right wing of the St. Peter, near the equestrian statue of Constantine the Great. The main staircase (scala Regia) with a magnificent Ionic colonnade (built under Urban VIII) leads to the Royal Hall (Sala Regia), which serves as a vestibule for the Sistine and Pauline Chapels. Sala Regia is decorated with beautiful frescoes by Vasari, Sammakini, the Zucchero brothers, Salviati and Sicchiolante.

The Pauline Chapel is remarkable for two frescoes by Michelangelo: The Conversion of the Apostle Paul and the Crucifixion of St. Peter, ”significantly affected by the soot of wax candles. During Easter, divine services are held here. On the second floor there are the famous Raphael's boxes and 4 halls, the so-called Raphael's Stanzas, which Raphael and his students painted on behalf of Pope Julius II and Leo Χ (1508-20). The Hall of Constantine leads to the Sala de Chiroscuri (the hall of chiaroscuro), from where on one side they exit into the San Lorenzo chapel, with frescoes by Fra Angelico, and on the other, into the Gallery of the Lodges. But the main path to the Lodge is from the courtyard of St. Damaz on a magnificent staircase of 118 steps, built under Pope Pius IX.

In the 19th century, in the 5 rooms of the third floor, behind Raphael's boxes, the Vatican picture gallery, which included a small number of paintings that are the best works of the great masters. Then on March 19, 1908, the Vatican Pinacoteca was opened in one of the wings of the Belvedere Palace, for which a new building was built in 1932 by order of Pope Pius XI.

The Pope's own apartments and the audience hall are located around the courtyard of St. Damaz, from the side of the church of St. Peter.

Belvedere Palace

Niche of the Belvedere and the bronze cone-shaped Roman fountain.

Garden della Pigna (pine cones)

The Belvedere Palace is occupied by the Pia Clementine Museum. There are two lobbies leading to the museum: a quadrangular one with the famous belvedere torso of Hercules, and a round one with a view of the panorama of the city of Rome. Next to the circular lobby is the Meleager Hall, where a statue of this mythical hunter is exhibited. From the circular lobby you enter an octagonal courtyard surrounded by a portico supported by 16 granite columns. Under the portico are sarcophagi, altars, fonts, bas-reliefs - all of almost remarkable antique work. In the quadrangular niches, world famous statues flaunt: Apollo Belvedere, Laocoon and sons, Mercury or Antinous Belvedere and Perseus Canova.

From this courtyard they enter the gallery of Statues, where Apollo of Savrokton and Cupid Praxiteles, Sleeping Ariadne are located between other works. From here, through the Hall of Beasts (so named after a collection of remarkably executed sculptural figures of animals), one enters the Hall of the Muses, octagonal, supported by 16 columns of Carrara marble, with antique statues of Apollo of Massaget and the muses found in Tivoli. The Hall of the Muses leads to the Round Hall, with a dome on 10 marble columns, with a floor made of antique mosaics found in Otricoli. In this hall there is a pool of red porphyry, one of a kind in size and beauty, statues of Antinous, Ceres, Juno, Hercules, etc. To the south of this hall is the hall of the Greek Cross, so called in its form; here are the sarcophagi of the red porphyry of St. Helena and Constance.

From here there is an internal main staircase of the museum, built by Simoneti and decorated with 30 columns of red granite and two of black porphyry. The same staircase leads to the Egyptian Museum, founded by Pius VII, and to the 2nd floor, where the Candelabrum Gallery and the Etruscan Museum, founded by Gregory XVI and occupying Hall 13, with a rich collection of ancient Italian antiquities, are located.

The museum staircase leads to the della Pigna garden. In the end wall of the palace there is a semicircular niche (architect Pirro Ligorio, 1560) with a bronze Roman cone-shaped fountain (Italian Pigna) of the 1st century, which gave the name to the entire garden.

Galleries Bramante and Braccio Nuovo

The northern end of the Bramante East Gallery and the Braccio Nuovo Gallery is occupied by the Chiaramonti Museum. Each side of the first gallery is divided into 30 sections, furnished with a wonderful collection of statues, busts and bas-reliefs (Tiberius, Julius Caesar, Dream, Silenus, etc.; busts: Cicero, Mary, Scipio Africanus, etc.). In the gallery of Braccio Nuovo there are statues: Augustus, Claudius, Titus, Euripides, Demosthenes, Minerva, etc .; busts: Mark Anthony, Lepidus, Adrian, Trajan, etc. From the Ciaramonte gallery to the south, separated by one lattice, there is the Museum of Inscriptions (more than 3000 monuments), founded by Pope Pius VII.

The Western Bramante Gallery houses the following museums and halls: 1) The Museum of Secular Objects - a collection of antique utensils from various metals, bronze statues of idols, precious stones and ivory carvings. 2) Museum of Sacred Objects - a collection of ancient church utensils found in the catacombs, etc. 3) Cabinet of papyri. 4) Hall of the Aldobrandi wedding. 5) Hall of Byzantine Artists, in which Gregory XVI placed a collection of paintings from the XIII and XIV centuries. 6) Numismatic office.

The Arazzi Gallery on the 2nd floor of the Bramante Gallery West contains a precious collection of carpets made from Raphael's carpets depicting the deeds of the holy apostles.

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The Vatican Palaces are the most magnificent architectural monument in the world. It includes: museums, chapels, Catholic government offices. The Vatican palaces are not a single structure, but a complex of buildings and structures that represent the figure of an irregular quadrangle.

Historians to this day have not come to an unambiguous conclusion about the date of the beginning of the construction of the Apostolic Palace. So, some historians consider the days of the reign of Constantine the Great to be a time reference point, others draw a parallel with the apostolic residence of the time of Symmachus (6th century AD). It was established that for some time the Apostolic Palace was empty, but after the Avignon captivity, the popes again became the “home” of the popes.

In the 15th century, Pope Nicholas V proposed to build new palace... Architects and builders took up the reconstruction of the north wing without destroying the old walls. This building later included the Borgia apartments.

2 floors of the military tower, which later received the name "Nikkolina", were altered under the chapel. for some time the chapel was the personal chapel of Nicholas V. The chapel was decorated by a Dominican monk, artist Fra Beato Angelico with a student of B. Gozozzoli. The three walls of the chapel tell stories from the lives of Saints Lorenzo and Stephen; the fourth wall later became an altar.

Towards the end of the 15th century, Pope Alexander VI Borgia invited the artist Pinturicchio to paint his chambers, which occupied six rooms. The halls correspond to the themes of the paintings - the Hall of the Mysteries of Faith, the Hall of the Sibyls, the Hall of Sciences and Arts, the Hall of the Lives of Saints, the Hall of Mysteries and the Hall of the Popes. Under Pope Julius II, through the construction of galleries, the Vatican and Belvedere palaces were connected, on the painting of which the great Michelangelo Buonarotti and the brilliant Raphael Santi worked, the project architect was Donato Bramante.

The Belvedere Palace houses many exhibits of ancient Greek and Roman art. There are two lobbies leading to the museum: a round one with a panoramic view of Rome and a quadrangular one, in which Hercules' torso flaunts. Near the circular lobby is the Hall of Meleager, represented by a statue of this hunter. From here you can get to the courtyard. In the courtyard of the Belvedere Palace, Pope Julius II installed a group of sculptures "Laocoon" and a statue of Apollo, and very soon other archaeological finds were added to them, forming the Vatican Museums.

The Sistine Chapel - perhaps the most famous chapel in the world - is the pearl of the Vatican. The architecture of the building will not arouse much interest, but the interior decoration will amaze with the beauty of the frescoes of the genius artists of the Renaissance. The chapel is named after Pope Sixtus IV, under whose patronage work was carried out on the reconstruction and decoration of the building in the period from 1477 to 1482. To this day, a conclave (a meeting of cardinals to elect a new pope) is held here.

The Sistine Chapel has three floors, covered with a cylindrical vault. The chapel is divided into two parts by a marble wall with bas-reliefs, on which Giovanni Dolmato, Mino da Fiesole and Andrea Breno worked.

The side walls are divided into three tiers: the lower tier is decorated with draperies with the coat of arms of the Pope, made in gold and silver; artists worked on the middle tier: Botticelli, Cosimo Rosselli, Ghirlandaio, Perugino, who introduced us to scenes from the lives of Christ and Moses. But still the most great works of art are the ceiling and wall paintings by the painter Michelangelo. The ceiling frescoes depict 9 scenes of the Old Testament - from the creation of the world to the Fall. The wall above the altar of the chapel depicts the scene of the Last Judgment, which during important ceremonies is adorned with tapestries made according to Raphael's sketches.

The Vatican Library is famous for its rich collection of manuscripts from different eras. The library was founded by Pope Nicholas V in the 15th century. The collection of the library is constantly being replenished, now its fund includes about 150 thousand manuscripts, 1.6 million printed books, 8.3 thousand incunabula, more than 100 thousand engravings and geographic maps, 300 thousand coins and medals.

Review of the Papal (Apostolic Palace) of the Vatican based on primary sources.

Papal (Apostolic) Palace in the Vatican under the canopy of the dome of St. Peter's Basilica. Still from the official Vatican film "Vatican City".

“Just as the Basilica (of St. Peter) is a grand repository of the tomb of St. Peter, the Apostolic Papal Palace is a continuation of the Vatican Church, as if the house of its canon is the house of a clergyman.

The Pope's dwelling appears in the architectural sequence with the Basilica, we are talking about a set of structures and various residences added to one another, "- the official Vatican film" Vatican City ", released in eight languages ​​a few years ago by the Vatican Museums Publishing House under the governorship, informs about the Papal Apostolic Palace (to the government) of the Vatican. (Hereinafter, we will cite, among other things, data from this film according to the Russian version).

The most famous window in the world

- window in the Apostolic (Papal) palace

Panorama of the Vatican with the Cathedral and St.

Panorama of the Vatican with the Cathedral and St. Peter's Square. On the right is the Apostolic (Papal Palace). The illustration shows the most famous windows of the Vatican, from where the Pope addresses the flock (Benedict XVI here). The most famous of these windows is located in the Apostolic (Papal) Palace.

Every Sunday, the Pope at noon local time addresses the flock from the office window of his Apostolic Palace in the Vatican with the Angelus Domini prayer and a short sermon on current topics. This tradition is interrupted only if the Pope is in his country residence near Rome, in Castel Gandolfo (then the ceremony takes place there - in the summer papal palace), or on a trip. During Angelus, anyone can see the Pope if they come to the window of his palace, but better place borrow early.

"The most famous window in the world", as it is customary to say about the window of the Apostolic (Papal) Palace in the Vatican (the penultimate from the right edge on the top floor of the Sixtus V building in the Papal Palace), is not the only window in the Vatican from which the Pope addresses. On more solemn occasions - at Christmas, for example, the Pope addresses the message Urbi et orbi (“to the city and to the world”) from the balcony above the entrance to St. Peter's Basilica. Also in the same place, the Pope appears for the first time in front of the public and after his election.

But, nevertheless, it is the window in the private office of the Apostolic Palace that is associated all over the world with the appeals of the popes. Before the Pope's address begins, the Papal personal coat of arms is hung from the window of the Apostolic Palace (Not to be confused with the coat of arms of the Vatican with keys and a crown, which does not change. Mary, and Pope Benedict XVI contains, among other things, images of a bear and a Moor in memory of his archbishop's coat of arms of Munich and Freising, where the Pope once served).

Pope Benedict XVI in the window of his private chambers in the Apostolic Palace (Angelus, Dec.

Pope Bnenedict XVI in the window of his private chambers in the Apostolic Palace (Angelus, December 2011; shot from the broadcast of the Vatican Television Center). For more information on these chambers, how the Papal Apartments are arranged, and whether the window really looks out onto the study, see the “Papal Apartments” section of this review.

“The office window (of the Papal Palace) is the most famous in the whole world. Millions and millions of people pay their gaze to it. Every day the whole world and the Ecumenical Church intrude into the personal life of the Pope, with their hopes and, above all, with their sorrows, a wide variety of tragedies and anxieties ",- asserts the official Vatican film "Vatican City".

In turn, the website of the Vatican Governorate indicates, speaking of the first Papal Palace, located on the site of the current Apostolic Residence (hereinafter, the quotation from the English version):

“Back in the middle of the 9th century, small fortified buildings were erected surrounding the old Basilica of St. Peter (that is, the original, Konstantinova, later, as it were, built into the new one that exists to this day. For more information about St. Peter's Basilica, see our website here. Approx. site)... These fortified structures with walls (around the Basilica) were built at the direction of Pope Leo IV (pontificate from 847 to 855), and they came to be called the "lion city".

The official Vatican film indicates:

"The original core (of the future Papal Apostolic Palace) can be dated to the period from the 13th to the 17th century" ... (But first located here) the palace of Pope Innocent III was not much different from the fortified tower. The Vatican Hill, on which the palace was built, ultimately gave the name to this entire area with its palaces ...

(Vatican Papal Palace) - the residence of the Popes, starting in 1376, after their return from Avignon exile. Prior to that, and at least until the 12th century, Popes lived in an old palace built near the Basilica of St. John Lateran - Cathedral Rome ".

Lateran and Avignon to the Vatican

On our own note, the Avignon exile is the period from 1309 to 1377 (with a break in 1367-1370), when, under pressure from France, the popes moved from Rome to Avignon (in French Provence). Several successive Popes who ruled from there were French (with the exception of one).

The papacy bought Avignon, and later in this city an Apostolic Palace was built for the Popes, built on the basis of the old episcopal palace. (The Apostolic Palace in Avignon has survived, but now the popes have nothing to do with it. Then, although the French king Philip IV the Handsome, who forced the Pope to move to Avignon, ruled only until 1314 (when he died at the age of forty-seven), The popes remained in Avignon for more than sixty years.

All this time, the Lateran Palace continued to exist in Rome. This palace dates back to 312 AD. presented to the bishops of Rome, i.e. to the current popes, Emperor Constantine.

This Roman emperor, who legalized Christianity in the empire and was himself a fan of this cult, received in turn this palace, formerly owned by the noble Lateran family, after marriage.

Already in 319, the emperor ordered a huge church of Christ the Savior to be added to the Lateran Palace (in the 10th century it was dedicated to John the Baptist), and it became known as San Giovanni in Laterana. It was the Lateran Palace that for ten centuries was the main residence of the popes in Rome, while the Basilica of San Giovanni in Laterana was the main church.

In turn, at that time, the Vatican Hill was a marginal marshy and unhealthy area, regularly flooded by the Tiber River. Christians of the first ten centuries of Christianity were interested in the Vatican Hill only in connection with the existence there. memorable place associated with the name of the Apostle Peter, where at the supposed place of execution and burial of St. Peter, the above-mentioned Emperor Constantine erected a basilica.

Note that the Lateran Palace and Lateran Basilica are located very far from the modern Vatican - on the opposite side of Rome, as they were away from the center of Rome and during the Roman Empire. Nowadays, the well-preserved Lateran Palace houses the residence of the vicar - the Pope's vicar in the Roman diocese.

We also note that in modern times, the office of the popes who already lived in the Vatican was the Quirinal Palace in Rome. The Quirinal Palace personified the power of the Popes as heads of the Papal State. Today it is the residence of the presidents of Italy.

The image from the Vatican TV broadcast shows the ceremonial courtyard of the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican, known as the Courtyard of St.

The Vatican Television image shows the ceremonial courtyard of the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican, known as the Courtyard of St. Damas. Here we see a door with a visor (which has Vatican service cars). The Pope uses this exit when leaving the Apostolic Palace and the Vatican by car (To leave the courtyard to the Vatican streets, there is an archway in the facade, here it is not visible). The courtyard is decorated with a round clock and sculptures.

St.

The courtyard of St. Damas.

Image from Vatican Television: Courtyard of St.

Image from Vatican Television: Courtyard of St. Damas. The Swiss Guards and Vatican staff lined up, seeing off Pope Benedict XVI.

The image from the Vatican TV broadcast shows the Courtyard of St.

The image from the Vatican TV broadcast shows the Courtyard of St. Damas and the Apostolic Palace to the right of it. The elongated structure of the Sistine Chapel, as well as part of St. Peter's Cathedral, can be seen on the left side of the photo. In the foreground is St. Peter's Square with an ancient Egyptian spire obelisk in the center.

Development chronology pictures

Apostolic (Papal) Palace in the Vatican

The Papal Palace of Innocent III (ruled the church from 1198 to 1216)

The Papal Palace of Innocent III (ruled the church from 1198 to 1216) from an old drawing (still from the film "Vatican City"). The palace of Innocent III became the nucleus around which the complex of the currently existing Apostolic residence on the Vatican Hill began to form, being rebuilt.

Pope Nicholas V (headed the church from 1447 to 1454) against the background of a drawing of the old part of the Apostolic (Papal) Palace on the Vatican Hill (Still from the film "Vatican City").

The buildings of the Apostolic Palace during the time of Pope Nicholas V.

The buildings of the Apostolic Palace during the times of Pope Nicholas V. “Under Nicholas V, a new wing was added and the central part of the building around the so-called. courtyard Pappagallo. From the outside, the palace retained its visibility medieval fortress- austere, compact, with its towers, but inside the halls were decorated according to the Tuscan revival taste - refined and sophisticated, ”notes the film“ Vatican City ”.

“(Pope) Nicholas V died in 1455.

“(Pope) Nicholas V died in 1455. His interest in culture and architecture was picked up a few years later by Sixtus IV, the Pope, who linked his name with the beginning of the construction of the Apostolic Library, but, above all, the Sistine Chapel, which from that time will be mainly the Papal Chapel, "the film notes. "Vatican City". Historically, the Sistine Chapel belongs to the Papal (Apostolic Palace), although it is now part of the Vatican Museums, departments of the governor-governed Vatican City State. However, the Sistine Chapel is also used for official Roman events. catholic church... Here is a conclave - the election of a new Pope. A shot from the official film "Vatican City": the Sistine Chapel bird's-eye view. The film notes that despite its internal splendor, it was built during the reign of Sixtus IV as a papal chapel, and was part of the Apostolic Palace, initially retained and retains the outside features of a typical fortress structure.

“In 1494, Rodrigo Borgia was chosen with the name of Alexander VI.

“In 1494, Rodrigo Borgia was chosen with the name of Alexander VI. It is this Pope who will complete part of the project of the Papal Apostolic Palace, begun by his predecessors. The Borgia Tower remains one of the most important parts of the Apostolic Palace in the 16th century. In this building, the Pope ordered to arrange his personal chambers. Six rooms of their components are continued in the wing of the Apostolic Palace, which was built under Nicholas V. " In the frame from the movie "Vatican City", the tower on the right. The Borgia chambers are now, like the older buildings of the Apostolic Palace, part of the Vatican Museums.

Donato Bramante on the instructions of Pope Julius II (was Pope from 1503 to 1513.

Donato Bramante, on the instructions of Pope Julius II (was Pope from 1503 to 1513), drew a plan for the new facade of the eastern part of the Apostolic Palace. A still from the film "Vatican City".

The film "Vatican City" indicates: "It was Raphael, although he did not have much experience in architecture, who completed the embodiment of the eastern facade of the Apostolic Palace after the untimely death of Bramante in 1514." appearance his Apostolic Palace, it was the windows-loggias of the new facades and galleries of the palace that became a visible manifestation of this.

The film "Vatican City" indicates: "It was Raphael, although he did not have much experience in architecture, who completed the embodiment of the eastern facade of the Apostolic Palace after the untimely death of Bramante in 1514." the appearance of its Apostolic Palace, it was the windows-loggias of the new facades and galleries of the palace that became a visible manifestation of this. They also symbolized the offensive of the so-called. the Renaissance.

Windows-loggias overlooking the Courtyard of St.

Loggia windows overlooking the Courtyard of St. Damas, formerly known as the Secret Garden of the Pope. Frame from the movie "Vatican City".

“On the eastern side (of the Apostolic Palace) Pope Sixtus V in 1589 wished to erect a strict quadrangular palazzo designed by Domenico Fontana. This palace acts as the third wing to the loggias to Bramante and Raphael,” the official Vatican film Vatican City notes.

“On the eastern side (of the Apostolic Palace) Pope Sixtus V in 1589 wished to erect a strict quadrangular palazzo designed by Domenico Fontana. This palace acts as the third wing to the loggias to Bramante and Raphael,” the official Vatican film Vatican City notes. Here, in a scene from this film, the massive Sixtus V palace (right) is the current residence and apartment of the Pope. It is also part of a large complex of the Apostolic Palace.

Dads are crossing

to the Vatican hill

But back to the history of the Apostolic (Papal Palace). The official Vatican film tells the following about its further history:

“The Papal or Apostolic Palace, however, is not only the residence of the Holy Father. It represents a whole complex of buildings, built in different eras, with halls and chapels, teeming with artistic treasures.

Nowadays, most of the palace is closed to visitors. In addition to the personal chambers of the Pope, it includes various institutions, and the secretariat of state is the most important governing body of the Holy See.

From the original nucleus of the palace of Innocent III (he ruled the church from 1198 to 1216. Parentucelli) - the pope - a humanist, who headed the church from 1447 to 1454. This is how the Pope characterizes in another part the mentioned Vatican edition - the film "Vatican City").

It was during his pontificate that work began, which in the history of the Papal Palace occupy a whole chapter from the history of the Renaissance ...

A new wing was added and the central part of the building was fortified around the so-called. courtyard Pappagallo. From the outside, the palace retained the appearance of a medieval fortress - austere, compact, with its towers, but inside the halls were decorated according to the Tuscan revival taste - refined and sophisticated.

Michelangelo

and the Papal (Apostolic) Palace

(Pope) Nicholas V died in 1455. His interest in culture and architecture was picked up a few years later by Sixtus IV, the Pope, who linked his name with the beginning of the construction of the Apostolic Library, but, above all, the Sistine Chapel, which from that time will be, for the most part, the Papal Chapel.

The structure of this building reflects the Popes' constant concern for how best to protect their residence. Indeed, from the outside, the chapel appears to be an expanded and fortified tower.

The severity of the exterior of the building is in contrast to its interior, which houses the finest frescoes of the Italian Renaissance. In 1508, Pope Julius II della Rovere summoned Michelangelo to Rome to restore and fresco the ceiling of the chapel, which had already been significantly damaged.

(Several decades later) Pope Paul III (was the Pope in 1534-1549. Note site) instructed Michelangelo, who was already approaching the end of his long life, to paint the walls of the so-called. Pauline Chapel (The paintings in this chapel (Pauline Chapel) are now less well-known work for this Pope, carried out by Michelangelo. They were overshadowed by the famous fresco " The last judgment"In the Sistine Chapel is the most famous work of late Michelangelo, commissioned by Paul III. The fresco "The Last Judgment" by Michelangelo supplemented his other painting in the Sistine Chapel, which has already been mentioned - the ceiling of this room painted on behalf of Pope Julius II. Approx. site).

The Pavlova Chapel was designed by Antonio da Sangallo Jr. (Frescoes Michelangelo's Pavlova Chapel replaced the painting by Fra Angelico, painted a century earlier. Note that Fra Angelico's murals survived in the Papal Palace only in the aforementioned private chapel of Nicholas V. We also note that the Last Judgment fresco replaced older frescoes by other masters in the Sistine Chapel. Approx. site).

The dad they didn't want to remember

or how Raphael's Stanzas were written

In the illustration: On Pinturicchio's painting "Sunday" in a room called the Stanza of Mysteries and Faith, the character kneeling in prayer before the risen Christ is Pope Alexander VI.

In the illustration: On Pinturicchio's painting "Sunday" in a room called the Stanza of Mysteries and Faith, the character kneeling in prayer before the risen Christ is Pope Alexander VI. A dad with a controversial reputation.

Before continuing to quote the Vatican's original source, the Vatican City film, let's talk a little about Pope Alexander VI, who has a reputation in history as a person with inappropriate behavior for the Pope.

It must be said that this Pope was distinguished by great perspicacity, concern for the safety of his subjects and diplomatic talents. In his activities, both as a cardinal and on the Holy See, Alexander VI always put effective governance above all else. At the same time, serious publications, although they may be sympathetic to the Papacy, usually do not take seriously the legends about this person buying votes in the elections, and allowing him to become a Pope.

But despite all of the above, this Pope has generally earned a controversial reputation. Mainly because during the period of his pontificate he promoted his illegitimate children in power, and throughout his life he had a relationship with many mistresses. Be that as it may, Pope Alexander VI played an essential role in the enhancement of the Vatican's cultural wealth and the arrangement of the Apostolic Palace. This is what Pope Cyrus Shahrad wrote about this in his book "Secrets of the Vatican" (2007, 2008 was also published in Russian):

“Nothing prevents visitors from wandering around some of the old papal apartments. Those that previously belonged to Julius II form one of the most visited parts of the (Vatican) Museum, splendidly decorated with paintings by Raphael. The chambers of the despotic Pope Alexander VI (in the world of Borge) give rise to endless rumors. The frescoes (by Pinturicchio) use a complex system of religious iconography to emphasize the supposedly divine origin of the Borgia themselves.

The protracted period of the reign of Alexander VI was so permeated with a pernicious spirit that his successor, Julius II, flatly refused to occupy the apartments of "this scoundrel", and the deeply religious Alexander VII removed one fresco that offended his feelings. The mural was recently found. It depicts the Pope kneeling in front of Madonna, and the model, apparently, served as his mistress Julia Farnese. The Pope's hand touches the baby's foot, which could well have been written off from one of his illegitimate children. "

A still from the movie "Vatican City" shows the fresco "The Dispute of St. Catherine of Alexandria" in the Hall of Saints from the Borgia Chamber of the Apostolic Port.

A still from the movie "Vatican City" shows the fresco "The Dispute of St. Catherine of Alexandria" in the Hall of Saints from the Borgia Chamber of the Apostolic Port. The fresco depicts the son of Pope Alexander VI Cesare Borgia and the daughter of Pope Lucretius in the image of Saint Catherine of Alexandria as Emperor Maximilian. The brother and sister were de facto co-rulers of the Papal State under Pope Alexander VI.

The official Vatican film is not so categorical about the Pope Borgia. Although he notes the fact that this Pope was not very fond of his successors, and also mentions frescoes in the Apostolic (Papal) Palace depicting the Pope's illegitimate children, he does not directly indicate that these are the Pope's children:

“In 1494, Rodrigo Borgia was chosen with the name of Alexander VI. It is this Pope who will complete part of the project of the Papal Apostolic Palace, begun by his predecessors. The Borgia Tower remains one of the most important parts of the Apostolic Palace in the 16th century.

In this building, the Pope ordered to arrange his personal chambers. Six rooms of their components are continued in that wing of the Apostolic Palace, which was built under Nicholas V. Pinturicchio, a famous artist from the Umbrian region, was entrusted with decorating the rooms - stanz (The word stanze means room. Approx. Site). In these works, the artist revealed his great technical capabilities, skillfully combining gilded moldings with tempera (a type of paint) ... On one of the frescoes ("Sunday") the Pope himself (Alexander VI) ...

The idea, quite widespread in that era (Middle Ages), to represent characters, making them look like their contemporaries, is also evident in the fresco "The Dispute of St. Catherine of Alexandria" in the so-called Hall of Saints. On the fresco, Emperor Maximilian - a portrait of Cesare Borgia (the son of Pope Alexander VI and the actual head of the curia at that time. Approx. Site). Whereas Saint Catherine is endowed with a portrait resemblance to his sister Lucretia. To the left of the throne are the architect Antonio da Sangalla st. and Pinturicchio himself.

Alexander VI died in 1503. After Pius III, former Pope only 26 days, Pope Julius II della Rovere, the nephew of Sixtus IV, was elected. The ten years of his pontificate should be seen as the apogee of the heyday of Renaissance art in the Vatican.

Donato Bramante was the architect who began to bring the Pope's designs to life. In a short time, work began on the destruction of the ancient Constantine Basilica in order to replace it with another, which was supposed to surpass the first in size and splendor. We worked on the creation of the Belvedere courtyard. Whereas for the Apostolic Palace a new impressive facade was being designed. Ambitious projects were only partially implemented, but based on those ideas, they were able to give the Vatican buildings the form in which they exist to this day.

Memories of his predecessor, Alexander VI, whom Julius II did not really respect, prompted the Pope to decide to change the rooms of his private chambers. He chose some of the rooms located just above the Borgia chambers, and in order to decorate them with frescoes, he invited the young Raphael, who was barely 25 years old, to Rome in 1508. The painting was done in four halls, known today as Raphael's stanzas (rooms). (A number of rooms were painted by Raphael himself, and a number under his supervision by his students. App site) ... The fourth room of stanzas, dedicated to Emperor Constantine, was painted after the death of Raphael.

"Ducal Hall" of the Apostolic Palace with Bernini's arch depicting cupids.

"Ducal Hall" of the Apostolic Palace with Bernini's arch depicting cupids. Still from the film "Vatican City".

Loggias in the northern part of the Apostolic Palace, built under Pope Gregory XIII.

Loggias in the northern part of the Apostolic Palace, built under Pope Gregory XIII. A still from the film "Vatican City".

Julius II to Sixtus V

The new facade of the Papal Palace, facing Rome, i.e. with the eastern wing, Pope Julius (There is Julius II, recall, was the Pope from 1503 to 1513. Note Portalosrtanah.ru) wished to turn the gloomy medieval castle into a splendid Renaissance residence. In an extremely original way (architect) Bramante made the base of three levels of new spacious loggias and higher arches in the main massif ancient buildings... The work was completed by Raphael ...

Donate Bramante drew a plan for the new façade of the eastern part of the Apostolic Palace. But it was Raphael, although he did not have much experience in architecture, who completed his incarnation after the untimely death of the great architect in 1514.

The building with loggias adjoins the so-called. called the Secret Garden of the Popes, which would later be called the courtyard of St. Damas.

After completing the loggias, Raphael and his disciples painted them with cycles of frescoes illustrating scenes from the Old Testament. These cycles of frescoes are known as the Raphael Bibles.

After the death of Julius II, Leo X was elected Pope. The (this) Medici Pope continued the ambitious project of his predecessor. Since that time, all annexes to the Papal Palace have developed around the courtyard of St. Damas, (including) those buildings that were later built at the request of Pope Gregory XIII and Sixtus V. " (And also the successor of Leo X - Pope Clement VII, note Portalosrtanah.ru).

Note that Pope Clement VII and Gregory XIII went down in the history of the development of the Apostolic (Papal) Palace, mainly as Pope who built new halls in the already existing premises of the Apostolic Palace.

Under Pope Clement VII of the Medici family (ruler of the Church in 1523-1534). in the medieval part of the Apostolic Palace by the architect Antonio Sangalla Jr., simultaneously with the "Hall of Ceremonies", the so-called. "Ducal Hall". The "Ducal Hall" adjoins the "Hall of Ceremonies", which now serves as a kind of front Sistine Chapel. ( Note that the notorious Giorgio Vasari, a contemporary of Michelangelo, also an artist and sculptor, famous for his life stories about Michelangelo, took part in the painting of the "Hall of Ceremonies" with frescoes about the political supremacy of the Popes in the Christian world). A few decades later, in 1556, Bernini connected the "Ducal Hall", previously consisting of two semi-rooms, with an arch with cupids.

Pope Gregory XIII (who ruled the church from 1572-1585) also rebuilt several halls in the medieval part of the Apostolic Palace. Among the halls where the murals were changed under Gregory III: the Old Hall of the Swiss "(under Julia II it adjoined the chambers of this Pope) and the Hall of Chiaroscuro. The Pope also built four so-called "Fiery Hall" - "Foconi". They were so named because they contained huge braziers for heating. From the second Hall of Fire you can go to the chapel of the Mother of the Redeemer, formerly called the Matilda Chapel, in honor of the Countess, who in the 11th century supported the Pope's power against the Emperor's power, and then left her entire fortune to the Church. Also under Gregory XIII, who was fond of geography and astronomy, the "Hall of Bologna" was built. In the hall named honor hometown Popes, dominated by frescoes in the form of geographical maps, in particular the plan of the city of Bologna in the entire wall.

On the next page: More information about the Pope's apartment today in the palace of Sixtus V, as well as the plan of the Apostolic (Papal) palace and adjacent buildings.

Several magnificent monuments of architecture and art formed the basis of a grand complex in Rome called Vatican Palaces. The papal apartments, Catholic government offices, museums, the Vatican library and several chapels form the most magnificent monument in the world.

Vatican palaces. Pages of history

It was not possible to establish the time reference point from which the construction of the future residence of the heads of the Catholic Church began. One version attributes the beginning of construction to Constantine the Great, the other links the Vatican palaces with the residence of the apostles during the time of Symmachus (VI century). Of course, today not a trace remains of that ancient structure: numerous reconstructions and improvements have done their job. Initially, the building served as a temporary residence of the popes (it was permanent) during the periods of visits to St. Peter's Basilica. The small palace gradually expanded and acquired more and more significance for history. So, the emperors Otto I and Charlemagne in the 9th-10th centuries were crowned under the rule of the state in the Vatican Cathedral. In the era of Leo IV, the papal palace was surrounded by a fortress wall, which gave the complex the name “the city of Leo”. True, the following centuries had a devastating effect on the building, and the popes Celestino III and Eugene III had to carry out significant restoration of the building.

The project to transform the building into the permanent residence of the heads of the church was initiated in the 13th century by Pope Innocent III. First of all, the permanent place of residence of the holy men had to be well fortified. In this regard, the project was based on the already existing defensive structures: the fortress walls of the city of Lev and the Castle of Sant'Angelo, connected with the palace, the so-called Borgo Corridor of the times of Pope Nicholas III. But before the palace in Rome becomes the official papal residence, another century will pass.

The end of the expulsion of the popes to France was marked by the return of Gregory XI to Rome in 1377. Since then, it was the Vatican that became the place of his permanent residence. The next two centuries passed in constant rebuilding and reconstruction of the papal dwelling. Under Nicholas V in 1450, the residence was expanded: preserving all the existing buildings, a grandiose palace was erected, and the Parrot's courtyard was inscribed in its square. The new Vatican Palace boasted a huge number of rooms designed by Piero della Francesca and Andrea del Castagno, and the Chapel of Nicholas V, decorated with frescoes depicting the lives of Saints Lawrence and Stephen Beato Angelico. The rooms on the ground floor with access to the courtyard became the Vatican Library, which was founded in 1451. True, already 20 years later, the new Pope Sixtus IV commissioned the re-decoration of Ghirlandaio and Melozzo da Forli, finding a different use for the halls of the Vatican Library.
And in 1473, Giovanni de Dolce received from Pope Sixtus IV the task of building a chapel, later named, worthy of papal services. Representatives of the Umbrian art schools, among which were Sandro Botticelli, Perugino and Pinturicchio, in 1481-1483 were engaged in the interior decoration of the chapel, performing in it two cycles at once about the life of Jesus and Moses.

The work of Nicholas V was completed by Alexander VI Borja, by whose order the Borja Apartments were equipped in the 15th century. They consisted of six rooms, three of which were "sheltered" by the Apostolic Palace, and three belong to the Tower of Borgia, the decoration of which was entrusted to Pinturicchio and his disciples. All new rooms were named after the frescoes that adorned them:

• The prophets and sibyls of the Sibyl Hall reflect the prediction of the coming of the savior;
• Figures of prophets and apostles adorn the Hall of the Creed dedicated to Christianity;
• The Hall of Liberal Arts "presented" frescoes depicting Kvamrivium (arithmetic, geometry, astronomy, music) and Trivia (rhetoric, grammar, dialectics) by Antonio da Viterbo;
• The Hall of Saints houses Pinturicchio's frescoes depicting scenes from the lives of Christian martyrs and saints;
• The Halls of Miracles of Faith and Pontiffs are decorated with frescoes and knocking Perin del Vaga, Giovanni da Udine.

By order of Inokcenti VIII, the Belvedere Palace was also erected next to the Vatican. But the most large-scale transformations awaited the Vatican complex at the time of Pope and patron Julius II, who instructed Bramante to unite the palaces of Innocent VIII and Nicholas V. The result of the work was the emerging Belvedere Courtyard. The perspective of the courtyard (instead of the previously completed escedra by Bramante with two staircases) is covered by a niche created by Pirro Ligorio in 1560. The loggias in the Courtyard of San Damaso, decorated with frescoes by Raphael, were also designed by Julius II. Thanks to the reconstructions, the facade of the Apostolic Palace began to overlook St. Peter's Square. And it was under Julius II that Michelangelo decorated the vault of the Sistine Chapel with his frescoes in 1509-1512, and Raphael in 1508-1524. he was engaged in painting Stanz (ceremonial halls).

The supremacy of Pope Sixtus V fell on the Baroque era, then Dominico Fontana created the modern residence, and the Belvedere was "cut" by the Cross Courtyard. The construction of the Regia Staircase and the Paolina Halls, designed by Bernini, began in the 17th century during the reign of Pope Urbana VIII. In the next century, work was carried out to create museums: the Museums of ecclesiastical and secular art, the Chiaramonti Museum and the Pio Clementino Museum appeared. Already in the XX century, under Pius XII, archaeological research was carried out under St. Peter's Basilica, and under John XXIII, the construction of new museum halls for the collection of the Lateran Palace began.

Description of the complex Vatican palaces

Considering the long period of its creation, the complex cannot be an integral monument of architecture and art. This is a collection of palaces, chapels, halls, galleries and courtyards belonging to different historical eras and architectural styles preserving real treasures of sculpture, mosaic art and painting. The palace itself today has about 200 staircases, 20 courtyards and 12,000 different rooms.

The irregular quadrangle of the Vatican Palace stretches obliquely from south to north from the columns of St. Peter. Two galleries uniting the Old Vatican with the Belvedere form the west and east longitudinal facades. The transverse galleries (Braccio Nuovo and the Library Gallery) divide the space into 3 courtyards. The courtyard closest to the Vatican is called the Belvedere, and the Giardino della Pigna garden is laid out in the third distant courtyard. By the way, this is not the only garden of the complex. The Girardino Pontifico garden is located on the hillside near the Villa Pia IV, built by Pirro Ligorio.

The ancient part of the Apostolic Palace

Not far from the equestrian statue of Constantine is main entrance to the Apostolic Palace. The main staircase with the Ionic colonnade leads to the Royal Hall, which serves as a kind of lobby for the Pauline and Sistine Chapels. The frescoes by Salviatti, Vasari, the Zucchero brothers, Sammakini and Sicchiolante are truly royal adornments of the Hall itself. But Michelangelo's frescoes "The Crucifixion of the Apostle Peter" and "The Conversion of the Apostle Paul" of the Pauline Chapel suffered quite a lot from the soot of candles, because Easter services are held here today.

The second floor is known for its halls and loggias, painted by Raphael. The Hall of Constantine passes into the Hall of Chiaroscuro, from which you can get to the gallery of boxes on one side, and to the San Lorenzo chapel on the other side. True, the main road to the gallery of boxes remains a magnificent staircase of 118 steps leading from the Courtyard of San Domaso.

The oldest part of the complex also includes some of the Vatican museums. So, back in the 19th century, behind the Lodge of Raphael, the Vatican Art Gallery was located in five rooms on the third floor, and in 1908 one wing of the Belvedere Palace was enriched with the Vatican Pinacoteca.

The audience hall and the Pope's personal apartments are located on the side of the Cathedral of St. Petra around the Courtyard of San Domaso.

Vatican palaces. Galleries

They have Vatican palaces and their own galleries. Galleries Braccio Nuovo and Bramante are the most famous galleries of the Vatican, given over to the Chiaramonti Museum. On each side, the Bramante Gallery is divided into 30 parts, furnished with bas-reliefs, busts and statues of Caesar, Ciciron, Tiberius and others. The Braccio Nuovo Gallery keeps busts and statues of Trajan, Augustus, Titus, Adrian, Mark Antony and other personalities. Just one grate separates the Chiaramonti Museum in the south from the Museum of Inscriptions, founded by Pius VII and containing more than 3,000 exhibits.

The western part of the Bramante Gallery is truly replete with museums, among which stand out: the Cabinet of Papyri, the Museum of Sacred Objects, the Museum of Secular Objects and the Numismatic Cabinet. On the second floor (gallery Arazzi) precious carpets are collected, depicting the apostles from the paintings of Raphael.

Vatican palaces. Belvedere Palace

The Pius-Clement Museum, located in the Belvedere Palace, has two lobbies at once. The round one offers a magnificent panorama of the Eternal City, and the quadrangular one is famous thanks to the torso of Hercules. The Mileagra Hall with a statue of a hunter from myths is located by the circular lobby. From here you can also get into an octagonal courtyard surrounded by a portico with 16 granite columns. Antique bas-reliefs, fonts, sarcophagi and altars found their place under the portico itself. And in niches for many decades Apollo of Belvedere, Perseus of Canova, Laocoon with his sons and Mercury have been flaunting.

From the courtyard you can get to the gallery of Statues with the Sleeping Ariadne and Cupid Praxiteles, then - through the Hall of Beasts - to the Hall of the Muses in the shape of an octagon supported by 16 marble columns. This is followed by the Round Hall with a dome supported by 10 marble columns and antique mosaics from Otricoli. Here you can also admire the pool of red porphyry, striking not only in its beauty, but also in its size. To the south of the hall is the hall of the Greek Cross with the sarcophagi of Saints Constance and Helen made of red porphyry.

From here you can go to the main museum staircase, created by Simonetta, and from it - to the Egyptian and then Etruscan museums, founded by Pius VII and Gregory XVI, respectively. The staircase of the museum, in turn, leads to the Giardino della Pigna, named after the bronze cone-shaped fountain located in a niche at the end of the building.

The grandiose complex of Vatican palaces is considered the most significant for humanity today. architectural ensemble all over the world, and the greatness of the treasures collected here can plunge any connoisseur of beauty into “sacred” awe for a long time.