The first Italian Parliament convened in 1861 in the elliptic hall of Palazzo Carignano in Turin. After just four years, the capital of Italy was moved to Florence and Parliament took up residence in the Salone dei Cinquecento of Palazzo Vecchio. Finally, in 1870, the capital was transferred to Rome in a move that required the relocation of all the institutions of State. On 1 July 1871, Palazzo Montecitorio became the seat of the Chamber of Deputies. The building, which dates back to the seventeenth century, was built by Pope Innocent X and designed by Gian Lorenzo Bernini as the residence of the Pamphilj and Ludovisi families. Construction began in the first half of the century but was interrupted for more than thirty years until, in 1696, Pope Innocent XII issued a chirograph for the resumption and completion of work. With the unification of Italy, Montecitorio was renovated and expanded to accommodate the Chamber of Deputies. Paolo Comotto was appointed to design the Plenary Hall, but his plan turned out not to be fit for purpose, and the Hall was closed down in 1900. Ernesto Basile, a leading light in the Italian Art Nouveau movement, was appointed for the overall renovation project, which was completed in 1918.