Palazzo dei Papi
The staircase alone sets the tone: wide, deliberate stone steps rising toward a Gothic loggia of arched openings that once framed newly elected popes blessing the crowd below. Palazzo dei Papi stands on the northern edge of Piazza San Lorenzo, and it is exactly what it looks like — a building that held the centre of the medieval Catholic world for nearly a quarter-century.
For twenty-four years, from 1257 to 1281, Viterbo was effectively the seat of the papacy. Popes lived and died here. One, John XXI, was killed in 1277 when his study ceiling collapsed. The palace absorbed all of it, and the walls have not forgotten.
💛 What travellers fall for
People who come back tend to linger in the Sala del Conclave longer than planned — once you learn that the cardinals were locked in here for thirty-three months and the locals eventually tore the roof off to force a decision, the room stops being a room and starts being a story you can stand inside.
The story behind Palazzo dei Papi
When Alexander IV moved the Papal Curia to Viterbo in 1257 to escape the violence of Rome's commune, the city's existing bishop's palace was enlarged into something grander. Raniero Gatti, Capitano del Popolo, commissioned the new structure in 1266; his successor Andrea Gatti ordered the Loggia delle Benedizioni added the following year.
What followed was a compressed, turbulent chapter: Urban IV, then the election of 1268–1271, the longest conclave in Church history, which ended only after Viterbo's citizens removed the palace roof and cut off the cardinals' food supply. Gregory X emerged after thirty-three months. John XXI died here in 1277 beneath a collapsed ceiling. Martin IV, elected in 1281, immediately issued a decree abandoning Viterbo as papal residence — and no pope has lived here since.
Good to know
Your ticket covers the palazzo, the cathedral sacristy, and the Colle del Duomo Museum, with an audio guide in five languages included — around €10 total. Allow ninety minutes to two hours. The Valle Faul car park offers a free elevator that deposits you directly onto Piazza San Lorenzo.
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What travellers say about Palazzo dei Papi
An unusual place when thinking about Italian tourism, but well worth the time if you're in the area. It's a fantasy land of sculpture and hard to believe it was created in the mid 26th century. The place was somewhat crowded with tour buses and field trips, so try and plan off peak visit times.
Viterbo is really worth a visit, especially the popes' palace,.which besides the historical importance, is a very beautiful place. Great for a day trip from Rome.
Truly is worth the visit ! Crossing the bridge onto beautiful grounds ! The Popes palace is truly unique if you’re here in Viterbo it’s a must visit ! Not expensive to get in very affordable ! So much to look at inside ! Staff are very helpful, they give you an ear piece so you can find out about all the history of the rooms choose your language. The grounds and views are amazing!
The Palazzo dei Papi is one of Viterbo’s most important monuments, built when Pope Alexander IV (1254-1261) moved the papal curia to Viterbo in 1257 and had the former bishop’s palace expanded. The palace includes the famous Aula del Conclave, which hosted the longest papal election in history, lasting about 33 months! You and get a ticket, and audio guide, for a very reasonable €10 which gives you access to the museum, cathedral and Palazzo. The audio tour is very detailed and a map is provided which shows the main points of the locations.
The Papal Palace in Viterbo hosts an exhibition that captures the first conclave (literally "under lock and key") that was held starting in 1268AD and took nearly three years to select the new Pope. That was Gregory X, who then ordered that the conclave method be used for future selection. It's very well done, including multilanguage commentary, VR, and animation to tell the story, and a must visit for History buffs and for Catholics interested in key stages in the development of the church.
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