Quirinal Hill

Quirinal Hill

Quirinal Hill is one of the Seven Hills of Rome, located northeast of the city center. It is the site of the Quirinal Palace, the official residence of the Italian head of state. According to ancient Roman legend, Quirinal Hill was once a small Sabine village where the inhabitants erected an altar to their god "Quirinus," after whom the hill is named.

The cool air of Quirinal Hill attracted nobles and papal families in antiquity to build villas in the Gardens of Sallust. In 1573, Pope Gregory XIII visited the villa of Cardinal Este and deemed the location healthier than either the Vatican or the Lateran. As a result, he began constructing his summer palace there the following year. Stretching 360 meters along the Quirinal Hill road, the palace fronts the sloping Piazza del Quirinale. In 1871, when Rome was incorporated into the Kingdom of Italy, the pope’s palace was converted into the royal palace of the Italian king, and after 1946, it became the official residence of the President of Italy.

Quirinal Hill boasts numerous landmarks, including: Sant'Andrea al Quirinale, one of Rome’s most outstanding Baroque buildings, designed by Bernini for Cardinal Camillo Pamphilj, nephew of Pope Innocent X. The church features magnificent marble work, wall decorations, and gilded ornamentation. The “Four Fountains” (Quattro Fontane) and Borromini’s Church of San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane. San Silvestro al Quirinale, originally built around the year 1000 and reconstructed in the 16th and 19th centuries. The Baracchini Palace, constructed between 1876 and 1883, now houses the Ministry of Defence. The Palace of the Consulta, home to Italy’s Constitutional Court, faces the Quirinal Palace.

Quirinal Hill

Must-visit reason: Location of the most impressive official residence of the Italian head of state

Continent where the attraction is located: Europe【Europe】

Country/Region where the attraction is located: Italy[Italy]

Province/State where the attraction is located: Lazio Region [Lazio Region]

City where the attraction is located: Rome [Rome]