They've lived here for 700 years, and in the 13th and 14th centuries, they were one of the two warring families fighting for control of Rome's streets. But in 1417, the Colonna family pulled off a major triumph. After centuries of dominating Rome with their private armies and wealth, these swaggering warlords were about to play a decisive role in restoring the papacy and the city. There was one way to harness their violent power. To elect a member of the family as pope. And to this day, the palace displays a special piece of furniture to mark this triumph. This is the throne room. Every dynasty with a pope in the family had one just like this for when future popes came to visit. And here's the throne itself. But as you can see, it's facing the wrong way round, and that's because it was only turned to face in the right way when there was a pope actually here to sit on it.


他们在这里经营了700多年，在13、14世纪时，他们曾为了罗马的控制权和另一家族起发生过激烈打斗。但是在1417年，科隆纳家族又取得一场重要的胜利。科隆纳家族拥有强大的私人军队和无数的财富。他们通过这些将罗马牢牢握在手心，这种情况持续了几个世纪。这些趾高气扬的军阀又把手伸到别的领域，他们在教皇的更替和罗马城的大小事务上起决定性的作用。只有一种方法来压制他们的权势，那就是选择科隆纳家族的某一个成员，让他任教皇一职。在这一天，这个宫殿见证了这场胜利。这是金銮殿。科隆纳家族每朝每代都出一名教皇，当他任职时都会如同这个家族的首位教皇一样在这儿加冕。这就是皇座。不过你可以看到，它摆放的方位和它应当所处的方位恰恰相反。这是因为只有教皇来到这里启用这间大殿时它才会被放置到正确的方位。