Capitol

Not to be confused with Capital.

For other uses, see Capitol (disambiguation).

Capitol is a term used to describe the seat of government. It is derived from the Capitoline Hill (Latin: Capitolinus Mons) in Rome, the most famous and smallest of the Seven Hills of Rome and the seat of the Roman Republic, located between the Forum and the Campus Martius (today Capitoline Hill is the seat of the mayor of Rome).

In the United States, "the Capitol" usually refers to the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C., the seat of the United States Congress, the legislative branch of the U.S. federal government. Each U.S. state has a capitol, called the state capitol or statehouse. These buildings house state legislatures and sometimes the offices of the state governor or other executive offices. Territoral legislatures –such as the American Samoa Fono and Legislative Assembly of Puerto Rico– have similar capitol buildings. See list of U.S. state capitols.

In France, the Capitole de Toulouse is the seat of the municipal administration of Toulouse. The Capitouls (governing magistrates) of Toulouse embarked on the construction of the original building in 1190, to provide a seat for the government of a province growing in wealth and influence. The name Capitole referred not only to the Roman Capitol but also to the capitulum which was the chapter of the governing magistrates. The current façade dates from 1850, built according to plans by Guillaume Cammas. The eight columns represent the original eight capitouls. In 1873, Eugène Viollet-le-Duc built a belltower typical of the style of northern France. Only the Henri IV courtyard and gate survive from the original mediaeval buildings. Today the Capitole houses the city hall, as well as an opera company and symphony orchestra. The Salle des Illustres contains 19th-century art.

In the Philippines, provincial capitols (Filipino: kapitolyo), usually located in the capital of the province (but not always, as in the case of Cavite and Rizal), house the offices of governors and other provincial officials.