Palace of the Popes

The Palace of the Popes, also known as the Papal Palace, represents together with the Cathedral the most relevant historical monument in Viterbo. Its construction, in its present form, came about through the expansion of the palace that housed the city’s episcopal curia when Pope Alexander IV moved the seat of the papal curia to Viterbo in 1257 because of tensions with the Roman people and nobles, led by the senator Brancaleone degli Andalò. This extension was designed and carried out by Captain of the People Raniero Gatti, who came from an influential family in the city. Among its accomplishments, with the consent of Pope Clement IV, was the construction of a large audience hall, now known as the “Aula (or Hall) of the Conclave,” which hosted the first and longest conclave in history, lasting 1006 days from 1268 to 1271.