# Quirinal Palace, Rome > The Quirinal Palace is a vast residence on the highest of Rome's seven hills: popes lived here from the 16th century, then the kings of Italy, and today the President of the Republic. Guided tours of the state rooms run by advance booking on set days, while the square outside, with its Dioscuri and city view, is always open. The square is free; a palace visit takes 1.5–2 hours. Web page: https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/quirinal-palace - City: [Rome](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome), Italy - YesGo score: 50/100 (Yes, go) - Time on site: 1 h 15 min - Entry: Square free; tours by booking - Opening hours: Square always open; palace tours by booking on set days - With kids: Fine with kids - Square: Free, 24 hours - Palace tours: Book on the official site; small booking fee - Changing of the guard: Usually Sundays, with cuirassiers — sometimes on horseback - ID: Passport required — it's a guarded residence - Time needed: 15 minutes on the square, 1.5–2 hours with a tour - Location: Quirinal Hill; 10 minutes from Trevi, Metro A Barberini - Coordinates: 41.90000, 12.48750 - Facts checked: 10.11.2026 ## Key facts - **1583** — construction of the papal summer residence began (source: English Wikipedia) - **3 eras** — home to popes, then kings of Italy, and since 1946 the presidents (source: English Wikipedia) - **≈ 1,200** — rooms — one of the largest palaces in the world (source: English Wikipedia) - **Dioscuri** — ancient statues of Castor and Pollux with their horses on the square (source: English Wikipedia) - **Highest** — the Quirinal is the tallest of Rome's seven hills (source: English Wikipedia) ## Quirinal Palace tours You can visit only on a **guided tour booked in advance** on the Quirinal's official website, usually on set days of the week, for a small booking fee. The route takes in the **state rooms**: the Hall of Mirrors, the Ballroom, the gilded Pauline Chapel, the Hall of the Cuirassiers and rooms of tapestries and frescoes. Sometimes the **gardens** open too, with fountains and an 18th-century Coffee House. There's airport-style security and a passport check: arrive 20–30 minutes early with the ID you used to book. Slots often go weeks ahead. ## A short history The Quirinal is the highest of Rome's **seven hills**, with fresh air above the stuffy lowlands, so in **1583** Pope Gregory XIII began a **summer residence** here. Domenico Fontana, Carlo Maderno and Bernini all worked on it, and it grew into one of the world's largest palaces, with hundreds of rooms and a huge garden. Popes lived here until 1870, then the kings of united Italy, and since **1946** it has been the official **residence of the President of the Italian Republic**, guarded by **cuirassiers** in horsehair-plumed helmets. ## Piazza del Quirinale Even without a tour, climb to the **Piazza del Quirinale**. An **obelisk** and fountain rise between colossal ancient statues of the **Dioscuri**, Castor and Pollux taming their horses, found in the Baths of Constantine. From the balustrade at the edge you get a **view over Rome's rooftops to St Peter's dome**, glorious at sunset. Opposite the palace, the **Scuderie del Quirinale** — the old papal stables — host major art exhibitions, and just beyond are two Baroque gems: Bernini's Sant'Andrea al Quirinale and Borromini's [San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/san-carlo-alle-quattro-fontane). ## What to see - **Piazza del Quirinale** — the Dioscuri, the obelisk and the city view. - **State rooms** — on a booked tour. - **Changing of the guard** — cuirassiers and guards at the main portal. - **Scuderie del Quirinale** — exhibition halls in the old stables. - **Sant'Andrea al Quirinale** — Bernini's oval church nearby. - **San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane** — Borromini's masterpiece, 5 minutes away. > **The changing of the guard** The guard changes daily at the palace gate, and on Sundays there's usually a full ceremony with a band and cuirassiers, sometimes mounted. The schedule is on the Quirinal's website and differs between summer and winter. ## How to get there 1. From the [Trevi Fountain](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/trevi-fountain), 10 minutes up the steps of Via della Dataria. 2. Metro line A to **Barberini**, then 10 minutes along Via delle Quattro Fontane. 3. Buses 40, 64, 70 and 170 to Via Nazionale, then 5 minutes. 4. From [Piazza Venezia](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/piazza-venezia), 10–12 minutes uphill. ## Is it worth visiting? The square, yes: it's free, ten minutes from Trevi and one of the best views of the centre. The palace tour suits lovers of grand interiors who plan ahead — book weeks in advance. Combine it with Trevi, [Palazzo Barberini](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/palazzo-barberini) and the Bernini and Borromini churches nearby. ## Before you go Tick off what's ready — your ticks are saved in this browser. - [ ] Book a tour on the official site - [ ] Bring the passport you booked with - [ ] Check the changing-of-the-guard schedule - [ ] Walk to the balustrade for the view - [ ] Visit Bernini's and Borromini's churches next door ## Rome's palaces: compare and choose Palaces in Rome rated by YesGo. - [Vittoriano](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/vittoriano) — YesGo score 61/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h · Terraces free; lift ≈ €12–18 - [Palatine Hill](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/palatine-hill) — YesGo score 54/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h 30 min · ≈ €18 with Colosseum - [Piazza Venezia](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/piazza-venezia) — YesGo score 53/100 (Yes, go) · 20 min · Free - [Quirinal Palace](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/quirinal-palace) — YesGo score 50/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h 15 min · Square free; tours by booking - [Domus Aurea](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/domus-aurea) — YesGo score 49/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 15 min · ≈ €18, with VR ≈ €26 - [Galleria Borghese](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/galleria-borghese) — YesGo score 45/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h · ≈ €18 - [Capitoline Museums](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/capitoline-museums) — YesGo score 43/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h 30 min · ≈ €15–19.50 - [Galleria Doria Pamphilj](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/doria-pamphilj) — YesGo score 39/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · ≈ €16–18 - [Palazzo Farnese](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/palazzo-farnese) — YesGo score 39/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 15 min · Paid, booking only - [Villa Medici](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/villa-medici) — YesGo score 38/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h 30 min · Paid, scheduled tours - [Palazzo Barberini](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/palazzo-barberini) — YesGo score 37/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h · ≈ €15 - [Villa Farnesina](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/villa-farnesina) — YesGo score 37/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 1 h · ≈ €12 - [Villa d'Este](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/villa-deste) — YesGo score 29/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h · ≈ €15 - [Hadrian's Villa](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/hadrians-villa) — YesGo score 29/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 3 h · ≈ €12–15 ## Trevi and the Quirinal The Trevi Fountain in the morning, up to the Quirinal, then San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane and Palazzo Barberini. 1. [Trevi Fountain](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/trevi-fountain) — YesGo score 79/100 (Yes, go) · 20 min · Free; basin €2 2. [Quirinal Palace](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/quirinal-palace) — YesGo score 50/100 (Yes, go) · 1 h 15 min · Square free; tours by booking 3. [San Carlo alle Quattro Fontane](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/san-carlo-alle-quattro-fontane) — YesGo score 46/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 20 min · Free 4. [Palazzo Barberini](https://yesgo.io/italy/rome/palazzo-barberini) — YesGo score 37/100 (Yes, if nearby) · 2 h · ≈ €15 ## Don't mix it up The Quirinal Palace isn't the Vatican's Apostolic Palace: the pope lives in the Vatican, while the Quirinal is the Italian President's residence. 'Quirinal' is also the name of the hill itself. ## Tips - The square and its view are free. - Tours by booking only, with a passport. - Sundays bring the full changing of the guard. - Ten minutes uphill from Trevi. ## Questions ### Can you visit the Quirinal Palace? Yes, by advance booking on the official website, on set days of the week. ### How much does a Quirinal Palace tour cost? Usually a small booking fee; check the Quirinal site for the exact amount. ### When is the changing of the guard? Daily, with a full ceremony usually on Sundays; times are on the palace website. ### Who lives in the Quirinal Palace? The President of the Italian Republic; previously popes and the kings of Italy. ### Where is it? On the Quirinal Hill, 10 minutes from the Trevi Fountain. ### How long do you need? 15 minutes on the square, 1.5–2 hours with a tour. ## How we checked Palace history and square from English Wikipedia. Booking procedure, fee and guard schedule change; we couldn't confirm them at the time of checking — hence the 'checking' badge. ## Sources - Palazzo del Quirinale official website - English Wikipedia, Quirinal Palace --- This is the Markdown version of a YesGo page for AI assistants. Quote the web page link above, not this file.