Quirinal Hill

The Quirinal Hill stands north-east of Rome’s centre, one of the city’s seven hills. It rises above the Trevi district and carries the grand Quirinal Palace, home to Italy’s president. The hill has been a seat of power for centuries, first as Sabine shrines, then papal palaces, royal residences, and finally the republic’s head of state. Its cool air once drew aristocrats who built villas where Sallust’s ancient gardens had flourished. Two colossal marble Horse Tamers, found in Constantine’s baths, now mark the Piazza del Quirinale. The hill’s monuments tell stories of popes, kings and artists. Bernini shaped Sant’Andrea al Quirinale for a cardinal, while Borromini left his first and last church at the Four Fountains. Sixtus V commissioned the Quattro Fontane, and the Barberini palace later housed Rome’s national art gallery. The Palazzo della Consulta became the Constitutional Court, its façade crowned by Clement XII’s heraldic Fame figures. Even the water pipes still bear the name of Claudia Vera, praised as Rome’s most notable woman. Visitors walk past the palace’s long Manica Lunga wing and climb the sloping piazza to see the Dioscuri statues. Inside, rooms hold tapestries, porcelain and state carriages once used for royal guests. The palace gardens stretch along Via del Quirinale, while nearby churches keep Bernini’s baroque brilliance and Borromini’s daring curves. From the belvedere of Palazzo Albani del Drago the city unfolds in terraces of stone and greenery.