Vatican palaces form one of the most magnificent monumental architectural complexes in the world. Their construction began in the fourteenth century with the aim of creating the papal residence, worthy of their high status. The original residence of the popes was in the Lateran, and then she was transferred to Avignon. Gregory XI was the first Pope, who settled in the Vatican; his successors continued the expansion and improvement of the Palace complex. So, under Pope Alexander V in 1410 was built through a corridor that connected the Palace with the castle of Sant'angelo.

But the greatest contribution to the construction and formation of a complex of luxurious palaces was introduced by Pope Nicholas V. the Heart of the complex is, without doubt, square building surrounding the Courtyard of Pappagallo (parrot), the creation of which worked such famous architects as Leon Battista Alberti and Bernardo Rossellino. Chapel Niccolina, dedicated to St. Stefan and St. Lorenzo, decorated with frescoes by fra Angelico.

The world-famous Sistine chapel was created in 1473-1480, under Pope Sixtus IV. Its author was the architect Giovanni de Dolci, which is used for this purpose former Palatine chapel. Pope innocent VIII gave the instruction to build himself a small Palace - Palazzetto, on the highest point of the gardens of the Belvedere. The Palace became well-known through the paintings of Andrea Mantegna, which were lost in the process of redevelopment of the Palace taken by the architect Bramante, and later during the construction of the Museum PIO Clementino during the reign of Pope Pius VI.

When Pope Alexander VI settled in the Palace of Nicholas V were re-started work on the extension of the papal court, which culminated in the erection of the tower Borgia, called by the name of the genus to which it belonged to dad. But the most significant transformation occurred simultaneously with large-scale urban development works undertaken by the Pope, the patron Julius II, who commissioned Bramante the project on connection of the palaces of Nicholas V and Pope innocent VII. As a result of this project appeared in the Courtyard of the Belvedere, a term which covers a niche Pirro Ligorio (1560), which replaced the Exedra with two staircases, made Bramante.

He also belongs to the project of the Loggia of the Courtyard of San Damaso, who had completed and was decorated with frescoes by Raphael. Thanks to these transformations, the facade of the Palais des Papes is now out on St. Peter's square. Also during the reign of Pope Julius II, between 1509-1512 years, Michelangelo completed the fresco on the vault of the Sistine chapel, and Raphael in 1508 began painting Stations (ceremonial rooms), completing this work in 1524.
After the brutal sack of Rome, which to some extent has suspended the implementation of an ambitious project of Julius II for the reconstruction of the city, work in the Vatican palaces were resumed under Pope Paul III, who commissioned the architect Antonio da Sangallo the Younger the construction of the Capella Paolina, Ducale Hall and Hall Reg. Michelangelo, having a custom mural of the Capella Paolina, continued to work on the frescoes of the Sistine chapel.

The flowering of Baroque coincided with the reign of Pope Sixtus V and is associated with the architect Domenico Fontana, the draft of which was built a modern residence of the Pope, and the Belvedere "slotted" Cross the yard (now the site of the Sistine hall of the Library). In the XVII century, when Pope urban VIII by Bernini began construction of the famous Staircase Rexha (Rock Rexha), as well as the Halls Paulina in the Library and Archives.

In the next century were made of large transformation on the creation of the Vatican museums. So there was a Museum of religious art (Museo Sacro) and the secular art Museum (the Museo Profano), adjacent to the Library; Museum PIO Clementino, created by Michelangelo Simonetti and Giuseppe Camporese (1771-1793 years); the Museum of Chiaramonti associated with the name Antonio Canova (1806-1810.); new building - Braccio Nuovo, designed by Raphael stern under Pope FDI VII.

In the twentieth century, on the initiative of Pope Pius XII, under the Cathedral. Peter had conducted archaeological survey, and under Pope John XXIII initiated the construction of new halls to accommodate the collection of the Museum of the Lateran Palace.