Hall of Paul VI or Nervi Hall

Named for the pope who had it built, but today, often referred to by the name of its architect, it was commissioned to Pier Luigi Nervi in 1964 and built between 1966 and 1971. It is the Vatican's major auditorium, to the left of Saint Peter's Basilica. Built of reinforced concrete, it has a parabolic vaulted ceiling, huge stained-glass windows (Janos Hajnal) and a stage embellished with statues including the Resurrection of Christ (Pericle Fazzini, 1977). The hall is dedicated to papal hearings and can hold 12,000 people.