The Rome Hotel Columbus is one of the few 4 Star hotels in Rome that can proudly boast a history perpetually and fundamentally linked to its glorious and magnificent surroundings.

The Hotel Columbus occupies the Palazzo della Rovere, situated on Via della Conciliazione just a few metres from the gateway of the awesome Piazza San Pietro, the Cathedral of St Peter and the Vatican City. This magnificent building was commissioned by Cardinal Domenico della Rovere of San Clemente, the nephew of Pope Sixtus IV, and constructed between 1480 and 1490 by the architect Baccio Pontelli.

One of the most majestic noble residences of the time, some of the period’s greatest artists contributed to the internal design of the building and it is believed that King Charles VIII of France chose to stay here instead of the Vatican Palace in 1495 before embarking on his invasion of the kingdom of Naples.

After the death of Cardinal della Rovere in 1501 the Palazzo was occupied by a succession of Cardinals. In 1524 it was acquired by Cardinal Giovanni Salviati who commissioned the fresco that now adorns the dining area of La Veranda restaurant. The work was the first of the Mannerist Artist Francesco Salviati (who took his name from his benefactor) and features the Salviati Coat of Arms.

In 1655 the building was acquired by the Order of the Penitentiaries, a special order of the Clergy charged with the task of confessing pilgrims to Rome, who occupied the building for almost 300 years. In around 1944 the Palazzo della Rovere was purchased by the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre, an order of holy knights charged in the 13th century with the protection of the Holy Sepulchre and who still exist today, carrying out work in Jerusalem.

Since 1950, the Palazzo della Rovere has been the site of the Hotel Columbus.