The S. Michele institute is one of the biggest building in Rome.
It rises in a vast area of about 27000 square meters in the ancient quarter of "Trastevere" on the right hand bank of the Tevere river. In this area it used to be the fluvial harbour of "Ripa Grande".
In the 17th century the zone around the harbour, even though it was Today it is part of one of the most characteristic quarters of the center of Rome.

The San Michele original compound was built in 1686 by the pontiff's architect, Carlo Fontana.
The institution was originally founded to host needy children. Within 25 years it grew into a small city with many different welfare services, which became an un-matched example in Europe of a perfectly working system.
The central building, characterised by a conventual-like planimetry, was used to host the staff of the institute.
The surrounding buildings were occupied by needy children of the community who live together and learnt a trade in an environment protected from the rest of the city.
There was also an old-age home for men and women and a spinsters conservatory which used to host orphans who worked together for the community.

In 1701 Carlo Fontana was charged by Pope Clemente XI to plan a big reformatory for the young in order to avoid them from ending up in prison. The architect created a unique space of this kind, similar to Roman cathedrals, thermal baths and big convents.
The base of the building, in the form of a cross, is the principal element of the space, articulated on two levels of 25 meters high. On the first level there were two big halls. The upper level is the prison hall.
In 1714 a tapestry factory was installed where huge tapestries which represent sacred and forest scenes were made. Today many are kept in the Vatican.

The regularity of the facade conceals an niternal disjointed planimetry due to successive interventions in time, without having a general plan.
In 1794 the building assumes its final dimension: 334 m in length along the Tevere river, the longest in Europe, 80 m in breadth and a total surface of 26750 square metres.
Internally there is also the big church of San Michele with an underlying crypt, planned by Carlo fontana.
During the course of the years the building underwent many changes to adapt the already existing rooms into new activities like the foundry where in 1882 the equestrian statue of the king Vittorio Emanuele was cast.

After a grave process of deterioration during the second world war the institute became the property of the Italian governement and is today the head quarters of the "Ministero per i beni culturali e ambientali".
Since 1973 the restoring started with this huge complex and continues today.