Palazzo della Cancelleria
Palazzo della Cancelleria
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This served as the site of the Apostle Chancellory, the Pope's Offices, for several centuries.
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
4.0
66 reviews
Excellent
21
Very good
29
Average
12
Poor
2
Terrible
2
SanDiegoGuy1
San Diego, California361 contributions
Jan 2016 • Friends
Two things motivated my visit here:
1) It is a superb example of Renaissance architecture well preserved by the Vatican for several Vatican functions. It has the legal status under the Lateran Treaty of being it Italy though part of the Holy See- with full diplomatic immunity as if were the Vatican itself.
2) It is also the residence of Bernard Law, former Cardinal of Boston who resigned in disgrace when his role is covering up years of serial child molestation by priests was disclosed in a series of articles by the Boston Globe newspaper, which won it the Pulitzer Prize for "courageous, comprehensive coverage in its disclosures of sexual abuse by priests in the Roman Catholic Church." Since it is part of the Holy See, those who live here are immune from the reach of legal authorities in the United States.
This Vatican palace remains a place of exquisite beauty and luxury since its first occupation by previous Vatican leaders beginning with Cardinal Raffaele Riario, Camerlengo (administrator of the property and revenues of the Holy See) of the Holy Roman Church in the mid-1400's!
1) It is a superb example of Renaissance architecture well preserved by the Vatican for several Vatican functions. It has the legal status under the Lateran Treaty of being it Italy though part of the Holy See- with full diplomatic immunity as if were the Vatican itself.
2) It is also the residence of Bernard Law, former Cardinal of Boston who resigned in disgrace when his role is covering up years of serial child molestation by priests was disclosed in a series of articles by the Boston Globe newspaper, which won it the Pulitzer Prize for "courageous, comprehensive coverage in its disclosures of sexual abuse by priests in the Roman Catholic Church." Since it is part of the Holy See, those who live here are immune from the reach of legal authorities in the United States.
This Vatican palace remains a place of exquisite beauty and luxury since its first occupation by previous Vatican leaders beginning with Cardinal Raffaele Riario, Camerlengo (administrator of the property and revenues of the Holy See) of the Holy Roman Church in the mid-1400's!
Written February 8, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Emily D
44 contributions
Sept 2015
What an eye-opener this Palace is! Light-filled with pink
stone reminiscent of Urbino's central court and Venetian
architecture, this home of Raffaelle Riario, a man who
was made Cardinal at 16, is a virtuoso work by someone
familiar with the courtyard of the Medici in Florence and
that of the Duke of Urbino; he solves the problem of the
corners by bundling colonettes together to form strong
pilasters that make the corners strong enough to bear
two arches.2nd floor is 2/3 height of first - wonderful
proportional system. Look closely for the Cardinal's
coat-of arms in the spandrels of the arches. That he
won a gambling game to pay for the palazzo makes it
even more extraordinary.
stone reminiscent of Urbino's central court and Venetian
architecture, this home of Raffaelle Riario, a man who
was made Cardinal at 16, is a virtuoso work by someone
familiar with the courtyard of the Medici in Florence and
that of the Duke of Urbino; he solves the problem of the
corners by bundling colonettes together to form strong
pilasters that make the corners strong enough to bear
two arches.2nd floor is 2/3 height of first - wonderful
proportional system. Look closely for the Cardinal's
coat-of arms in the spandrels of the arches. That he
won a gambling game to pay for the palazzo makes it
even more extraordinary.
Written September 28, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
SebnemCelikSpector
New York City, NY46 contributions
Jul 2012 • Couples
What a genius! Macchine di Leonardo is definitely worth seeing! The exhibition The Genius and His Inventions presents about fifty full scales machine designed by Da Vinci. They are fully operational and they can be touched and set in motion. The exhibition takes you inside the mind of a genius. I loved it.
Written July 23, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Roscam474
Oslo, Norway31 contributions
Feb 2016 • Family
I cannot say I saw any of the building except for the museum but it was AMAZING! My children ages 8-15 really enjoyed it (they do like science, etc). Lots of hands-on and great explanations in English (descriptions on the wall, not verbal) from art to science, to architecture to inventions, we learned tons about Leonardo da Vinci's accomplishments (not so much about his life). I also loved the bookshop but it was not at all affordable! The entrance fee was a bit high but I think it was worth it.
Written February 15, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ImmerWandern
Palos Park, IL11,713 contributions
Mar 2012 • Family
The main reason to visit Palazzo della Cancelleria is to see the "Il Genio di Leonardo da Vinci" exhibit. Please see the review posted on Tripadvisor.
This palazzo is located just off the Corso Vittorio Emmanuele II and we came upon it by accident on the walk to Campo di Fiori. The Palazzo della Cancelleria was the the Papal Chancellery and is not just owned by the Vatican but actually part of it; once we stepped off the street and into the archway we were exiting Italy and entering the Vatican City State. It was built during the late 1400s during the papacy of Julius II whose coat-of-arms can be seen on the corner of the building.
The internal courtyard is surrounded by a 2-story loggias with arches. Above each of the columns was a small decorative stone rose, and a similar but much larger stone rose lay at the center of the courtyard. The double-loggia has been attributed to the famous architect Bramante. It is considered one of the earliest Renaissance palaces in Rome.
This palazzo is located just off the Corso Vittorio Emmanuele II and we came upon it by accident on the walk to Campo di Fiori. The Palazzo della Cancelleria was the the Papal Chancellery and is not just owned by the Vatican but actually part of it; once we stepped off the street and into the archway we were exiting Italy and entering the Vatican City State. It was built during the late 1400s during the papacy of Julius II whose coat-of-arms can be seen on the corner of the building.
The internal courtyard is surrounded by a 2-story loggias with arches. Above each of the columns was a small decorative stone rose, and a similar but much larger stone rose lay at the center of the courtyard. The double-loggia has been attributed to the famous architect Bramante. It is considered one of the earliest Renaissance palaces in Rome.
Written August 14, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sergio P
Lake Charles, LA111 contributions
Jun 2019 • Family
We went there to see the "Mostra di Leonardo" exhibition. It was wonderful, no lines, ample access to Leonardo's art and inventions, great for adults and kids.
Written July 3, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Maggi713
Baltimore, MD12,366 contributions
Apr 2018 • Friends
This Palazzo has been on our bucket list for years. However, the wonderful Catholic hierarchy makes it almost impossible to visit. They use every delay tactic in the book. We tried to visit it on our last 3 trips to Rome; with no avail. So, if you are persistent and have an Italian friend make the reservation, you might get in. It took her several phone calls to nail down a date and time. Each time she called – they changed the requirements.
We finally got to take a tour of the Roman Catholic Church’s Palazzo della Cancelleria (Palace of the Chancellery) which is a Renaissance palace situated between the present Corso Vittorio Emanuele II and the Campo de' Fiori. The tour was not given by a trained guide; but, by an employee of the Chancellery office. It was built between 1489 and 1513 by Donato Bramante (architect of St. Peters) as a palace for Cardinal Raffaele Riario. Recently, until his death, it was the residence of retired Cardinal Bernard Law of Boston.
I guess we were disappointed, as we did not get to see everything that we should have. The façade is undergoing renovations at this time. The courtyard is impressive with its double loggia made from 44 Egyptian granite columns taken from the ancient Pompey’s Theater nearby and from the Baths of Diocletian. We were able to see the Sala Riaria, which has a clock face painted by Baciccia. It is a huge reception room decorated from floor to ceiling. The "Hall of the Hundred Days" (the courtroom) was very interesting. It was painted by Vasari for Cardinal Farnese in 100 days; which, according to a traditional quote from Michelangelo, said “it shows.”
We finally got to take a tour of the Roman Catholic Church’s Palazzo della Cancelleria (Palace of the Chancellery) which is a Renaissance palace situated between the present Corso Vittorio Emanuele II and the Campo de' Fiori. The tour was not given by a trained guide; but, by an employee of the Chancellery office. It was built between 1489 and 1513 by Donato Bramante (architect of St. Peters) as a palace for Cardinal Raffaele Riario. Recently, until his death, it was the residence of retired Cardinal Bernard Law of Boston.
I guess we were disappointed, as we did not get to see everything that we should have. The façade is undergoing renovations at this time. The courtyard is impressive with its double loggia made from 44 Egyptian granite columns taken from the ancient Pompey’s Theater nearby and from the Baths of Diocletian. We were able to see the Sala Riaria, which has a clock face painted by Baciccia. It is a huge reception room decorated from floor to ceiling. The "Hall of the Hundred Days" (the courtroom) was very interesting. It was painted by Vasari for Cardinal Farnese in 100 days; which, according to a traditional quote from Michelangelo, said “it shows.”
Written June 30, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
whiteshadow
cape coral florida276 contributions
Oct 2015 • Couples
This is now the Papal Chancellery building in Rome that had been built for a church Cardinal that secured the funds to begin construction by winning 60,000 scudi at a dice game. He was also given the Church of San Lorenzo next door by his famous uncle Sixtus IV. The Cardinal was from the Riario family and you can still see the Riario rose above windows on the main floor. An outer inscription above the Piano Nobile indicates a dedication to Saint Lawrence under Alexander VI who was the Borgia pope. Pope Leo X took the building away from Cardinal Riario after Riario was implicated in a murder plot against the Pope, but the real reason was probably Leo X, the son of Lorenzo ( the Great ) Medici of Florence remembered the complicity of the Riario family in the Florentine Pazzi conspiracy which led to the killing of Lorenzo's brother.Over the years the building was occupied by the Catholic Cardinal of England who was a Stuart descendant of James II. The history of these places is always interesting and, oh yes, for the building itself.often attributed to Bramante the architect who introduced the Renaissance style into Rome.
Written November 3, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Eddy195
Amsterdam, The Netherlands75 contributions
In four rooms in the basement you will find 40 wooden models. They were ment to demonstrate the findings of Leonardo. Half of the models is out of order. No single piece of real art. Entrance fee is ?9.
Written November 19, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
BarbSuz
Melbourne, Australia56 contributions
Apr 2017 • Friends
We visited the Palazzo Cancelleria to see the models produced of da Vinci's extraordinary designs. It was fascinating and great to see his genius in the life sized models.
Written April 11, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Is there any reduction in price for disabled persons?
Written September 8, 2018
Are you asking about a tour of the Palazzo della Cancelleria (which you make arrangements thru the Vatican) or about seeing the Leonardo da Vinci exhibition in the Palazzo? They are two different things. You would have to contact the museum about discounts for the exhibition. Most museums in Rome do offer a discount or free admission to disabled persons. I know the exhibition offers a senior discount. We toured the Palazzo and it was a set price. I hope this helps. Safe travels - enjoy my beloved Rome!
Written September 8, 2018
How to purchase tickets in advance? Will Leonardo da Vinci exhibition end anytime soon?
Written June 12, 2017
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