The Quirinale Palace in Rome is the official residence of the President of the Italian Republic (currently Giorgio Napolitano). Located on the Quirinal Hill, the highest of the seven hills of Rome, it has housed 30 popes, four kings and 11 presidents of the Italian Republic.
Considering the type of residents it housed, you can imagine the artistic wealth that is inside. It is now possible to admire that wealth through a virtual tour consisting of high-definition “immersive” images that make the viewer feel as if he/she were in the rooms or in the hallways, while a voice explains what you are seeing.
The itinerary takes viewers through almost five centuries of history, from 1583 to the present day. Viewers will see frescoes by Guido Reni, Pietro da Cortona and others, or the vaults by architects Flaminio Ponzio, Carlo Maderno and Domenico Fontana; they will learn about the aspirations of popes such as Paul V Borghese who wanted to affirm the universality of the Church of Rome; they can see traces of Napoleon’s dream, which was to make the Quirinale Palace the seat of the empire and even started to prepare it for the imperial family, but eventually failed; they will be able to peek inside the rooms where Italian presidents have worked since the founding of the Italian Republic on 2 June 1946.
Are you ready? You can begin your virtual tour here.
For English speakers, it is possible to download the English texts of the audio guide here.
