Viterbo, Italy, styles itself as the "City of the Popes" and this Gothic-style, palace, known locally as Palazzo dei Papi, is the reason why. Most people think of Rome (or more specifically, Vatican City) as the home of the pope, but this is not written in stone.

Many people remember the abandonment of Rome during the Avignon Papacy of the 14th century. A lesser-known fact is that, because of opposition to the pope's interference in secular affairs, the commune of Rome turned against the pope in the early 13th century. For 24, years the papacy decamped to Viterbo, where they upgraded the bishops' palace to produce a residence fit for the pope.