Visit the Splendid Apostolic Palace with TravelVatican.com

Tour the magnificent palace of the Vatican, experience its mighty glory and appreciate its rich historical value with TravelVatican.com. On our travelling site you can plan your trip to the Sacred Palace, get free information about it and book your flights, cars and hotels all in one place. Numerous tourists make their way to the area and see the Apostolic Palace with their own eyes. Now, with our helpful website, you can join their ranks in no time.

The Apostolic Palace is a general name for a compound of buildings including the Vatican museums, some of the Vatican's official government offices, chapels and The Vatican's grand library. However, it is best-known as the residence of the Pope, and has served this purpose, incontinently, since the late 14th century.

Even though the area was surrounded by walls from 850 or so, it was Pope Nicholas III who initiated composing the Sacred Palace with its luxurious design and 1,400 rooms. The popes that followed all contributed to this project according to their style, taste, fields of interest and budgets. Nicholas V was the one who constructed the Vatican Library, Julius II commissioned Giovanni dei Dolci to plan built the breathtaking Sistine Chapel and it was under Paul III that the Pauline Chapel and Royal Hall were completed. Other galleries, chapels and monuments were added along the years and some of the older structures were rebuilt, enlarged or renovated.

Today, the Papal Palace serves as the pope's official residence. This is where he receives guests and conducts some of the official ceremonies. It is connected to St Peter's Basilica, and is a center attraction for tourists. If you are in the area on Sundays you can see the pope welcoming pilgrims from his apartment and together with the other viewers, receive his blessing.