Belvedere (structure)

A belvedere /ˈbɛlvɪdɪər/ or belvidere (from Italian for "beautiful view") is an architectural structure sited to take advantage of a fine or scenic view.

[1] The term has been used both for rooms in the upper part of a building or structures on the roof, or a separate pavilion in a garden or park.

The actual structure can be of any form or style, including a turret, a cupola or an open gallery.

[2] The term may be also used for a paved terrace or just a place with a good viewpoint, but no actual building.

On the hillside above the Vatican Palace (c. 1480–1490), Antonio del Pollaiuolo built a small pavilion (casino in Italian) named the palazzetto or the Belvedere for Pope Innocent VIII.