ambassadors who enjoyed the rank of dean of the diplomatic corps in his host country. In 1990 and 1991 the Vatican quietly began to use the title of nuncio for its ambassadors who were not the deans of a country's diplomatic corps, but it retained the pro-nuncio title for all those already appointed. The current site on Massachusetts Avenue was acquired in 1931 for $223,000 and the construction of the building, a three-story complex that includes a chancery, other offices and residential quarters, was completed in 1937 at a cost of $550,000. Designed by Frederick V. Murphy, the design, based on a Roman palazzo, features ample use of limestone and Art Deco influences. The nunciature houses the staff of the Holy See's permanent observer to the Organization of American States, which is headquartered in Washington. Representatives of the Holy See to the United States Apostolic Delegates Francesco Satolli (January 14, 1893 – 1896) Sebastiano Martinelli, OSA (April 18, 1896 – 1902) Diomede Falconio, OFM (September 30, 1902 – 1911) Giovanni Bonzano (February 2, 1912 – December 11, 1922) Pietro Fumasoni Biondi (December 14, 1922 – March 16, 1933) Amleto Giovanni Cicognani (March 17, 1933 – November 14, 1959) Egidio Vagnozzi (December 16, 1958 – January 13, 1968) Luigi Raimondi (June 30, 1967 – March 21, 1973) Jean Jadot (May 23, 1973 – June 27, 1980) Pio Laghi (December 10, 1980 – March 26, 1984) Apostolic Pro-Nuncios Pio Laghi (March 26, 1984 – April 6, 1990) Agostino Cacciavillan (June 13, 1990 – November 5, 1998) Apostolic Nuncios Gabriel Montalvo Higuera (7 December 1998 – 17 December 2005) Pietro Sambi (17 December 2005 – 27 July 2011) Carlo Maria Viganò (19 October 2011 – 12 April 2016) Christophe Pierre (12 April 2016 – present) See also Apostolic Prefecture of the United States Holy See–United States relations United States Ambassadors to the Holy See Notes References External links United States Apostolic Holy See Holy See–United States relations Embassy Row