What does the 160,000 sq.m. official residence of the Pope

With the great influence he has and the powers that have been given to him, it would not come as a surprise if each pope chose where he would live. However, for more than a century, the Pope – as head of state of his city Vatican, the smallest state in the world – lived inside the Apostolic Palace.

The current version of this residence, which, according to WorldAtlas, is also known as the Papal Palace or Vatican Palace, was built between 1471 and 1605, but previous papal palaces have existed since at least the fifth century.

Today, it is over 160,000 square meters in size, but that is not its only striking feature. These squares include, in addition to the personal papal apartments, the Vatican Library, offices, chapels, art galleries and museums. As for the summer when the heat in Rome is unbearable, the pope temporarily “moves” to another palace, Castel Gandolfo, located in the Italian countryside, outside the Vatican City.

All this, however, was true in the past, as the current pope, the Pope Francis, has created his own style, regarding everything, from the first days at the “helm” of the catholic church.

From an early age, then, it seemed that Pope Francis would not be like his predecessors. He was born Jorge Bergoglio in Argentina, making him the first pope to come from America. He is also the first pope to take the name Francis, although he insisted from the beginning that there would be no number associated with his name: not Francis I, just Francis.

Regarding residence His, Pope Francis broke the mold in this case as well. He was denied the right to live in his papal apartments in the Vatican Palace, and instead has two rooms in Casa Sancta Marta (The House of St. Martha). This is a 1996 building originally designed as a hotel for clergy visiting the Vatican. His rooms are described as lightly furnished, reflecting the same “absolute simplicity” for which Pope Francis is known.

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