Palazzo della Consulta

Palazzo della Consulta is a Baroque palace in Rome, located in Piazza del Quirinale, between Palazzo del Quirinale and Palazzo delle Scuderie del Quirinale. The palace houses the Constitutional Court of the Italian Republic since 1955.

SHORT HISTORY

The palace rises on the remains of the Baths of Constantine, on the southern slope of the Quirinal Hill, replacing a previous building erected under Pope Sixtus V by Cardinal Ferrero da Vercelli to house the Sacred Congregation of the Consulta (Papal State Council) and then expanded by Pope Paul V in the early 17th century.

The current palace, which was completed in 1737 under the direction of the architect Ferdinando Fuga, was commissioned by Pope Clement XII to house both the headquarters of the secretariat of the Sacred Congregation of the Consulta and Signatura dei Brevi, both the corps of Cavalrymen and that of the Noble Guard (Corazze).

Between 1798 and 1814, the palace was the seat of the Prefecture of Rome, and starting with 1849, during the Roman Republic, it was the seat of the Government of the triumvirate of Giuseppe Mazzini, Carlo Armellini and Aurelio Saffi.

After the annexation of Rome, between 1871 and 1874, the hereditary Prince Umberto I resided in the palace with his wife, Margherita di Savoia. Between 1874 and 1922, the building housed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and from 1924 to 1953, it was the seat of the Ministry of the Colonies.

In 1955, the palace became the seat of the Constitutional Court of Italy.

ART AND ARCHITECTURE

The plan of the building, conditioned by the characteristics of the terrain, is trapezoidal in shape, with a central courtyard. The facade, with two floors, is a more articulated interpretation of the traditional design of a Roman palace. On the first floor, the windows have triangular tympana, while on the second floor, the tympana of the windows are round.

The central portal is flanked by two columns, on which rests a round tympanum, surmounted by the statues of Justice and Religion, both by the sculptor Francesco Maini.

The palace also houses the Library of the Constitutional Court, full of texts and legal documents.

HOW TO GET THERE

The closest Metro station is Barberini, located about 800 meters away, on the Metro Line A. The closest bus stop is Nazionale/Quirinale, about 300 meters away, on the bus Lines 40, 60, 64, 70, 117 and 170.