From Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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
.
The palace is a complex of buildings, with the
Papal Apartment
, the
Catholic Church
's government offices, a handful of chapels, the
Vatican Museum
and the
Vatican library
. In all there are over 1,000 rooms with the most famous including the
Sistine Chapel
and its renowned ceiling
frescoes
painted by
Michelangelo
(restored between 1980 and 1990) and
Raphael's Rooms
.
The other papal residences are at the
Lateran Palace
and the
Castel Gandolfo
outside
Rome
.
Before 1871, the
Quirinal Palace
was the Pope's official residence. 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.