This is one of Via Nazionale's monumental buildings. It was constructed in 1883 by Pio Piacentini to house the Quadriennale d'Arte, an art exhibition that took place every four years, but the plans immediately caused heated controversy. People were not impressed with the way Piacentini had laid out the space, or the monumentality of the entrance or, and this was the most negative aspect, the lack of windows in the exterior walls -- the internal rooms receive their illumination from sky lights.

Recently renovated, this building provides one of Rome's largest galleries for temporary exhibitions.
At the right hand side of the Palazzo is a church, San Vitale. Dating back to the 5th century, it is well below today's street level and is a prime example of how centuries of stratification have transformed Rome's topography.
On the other side of the palazzo, there is the Galleria Umberto I tunnel, opened in 1902, which passes under the Quirinal hill and the Palazzo Quirinale and links up with the area around Piazza di Spagna.