Palazzo Chigi

Palazzo Chigi, on Rome's Piazza Colonna, is the official residence and meeting place of the President of the Council of Ministers, effectively the seat of the Italian government. Built in the late sixteenth century for the Aldobrandini and later the Chigi family, its dignified Renaissance facade faces the Column of Marcus Aurelius. The council of ministers gathers in its frescoed halls, and its balcony has served as a stage for public addresses. Not routinely open to visitors, its prominent position keeps it central to Roman civic life.