Paul VI Audience Hall, Modernist auditorium in Vatican City.

The Paul VI Audience Hall is a reinforced-concrete hall by Pier Luigi Nervi, completed in 1971, with a fan-shaped roof of closely spaced pale grey ribs sloping down toward a curved front edge. Below it, a light beige concrete wall holds a recessed circular grille. Inside, two large oval windows with polychrome glass by János Hajnal light the hall, whose parabolic vault focuses attention on the stage and Pericle Fazzini's bronze La Resurrezione.

Pope Paul VI commissioned Pier Luigi Nervi in 1964 to build an audience hall between the Vatican Basilica's sacristy and St. Peter's Square. Construction began in 1966 under site manager Arcangelo Losso and the hall was inaugurated on 30 June 1971. The land was donated by the Knights of Columbus.

The hall's name honours Pope Paul VI, who commissioned it in 1964. Since 1993 it has hosted the Vatican Christmas Concert, broadcast on television, and concerts in honour of the pope are held here regularly. Behind the Resurrection sculpture, a Mascioni organ (opus 932, built 1972) with five 61-note keyboards sits in a wall niche, usually hidden by curtains.

Dress codes and respectful behavior are expected when visiting this religious venue. Plan to arrive well in advance of any event you wish to attend, as seating fills up quickly.

The building straddles two nations, with a portion in Vatican City and a larger section on Italian land functioning as extraterritorial space. This unusual arrangement stems from an agreement between the Holy See and Italy allowing this particular setup.