Palazzo del Sant'Uffizio
Historic site · Borgo, Italy
A palace first built in 1514 for cardinal Lorenzo Pucci and bought by Pius V in 1566 or 1567 for 9,000 scudi to house the Inquisition. Italian Wikipedia gives it today as the seat of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith and other Curia offices.
History
Under the Lateran Treaty of 11 February 1929, Italy recognises the Holy See's full ownership of this property (Art. 13; Annex II). Art. 15 states that the property, «benché facenti parte del territorio dello Stato italiano» — although forming part of the territory of the Italian State — enjoys the immunities that international law grants to the headquarters of the diplomatic agents of foreign States. It is on Italian soil and visitors are subject to Italian law. The Holy See's enumeration names «il Palazzo del Sant'Offizio ed adiacenze, sede della Congregazione della Dottrina della Fede». Italian Wikipedia records that the façade was rebuilt in 1524–1525 by Giuliano Leni, Pietro Roselli and Michelangelo, that Antonio da Sangallo il Giovane continued the work from 1532, that Pirro Ligorio and Giovanni Sallustio Peruzzi carried out restorations, and that Sixtus V built prisons there in 1586. The same article contains an impossible sentence, dating a restoration by Leo XII to 1811–1814 when Leo XII reigned from 1823; it is not repeated here.
Visit
Piazza del Sant'Uffizio 11, 00193 Roma RM
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