Alexander Menshikov had three palaces - in Kronstadt, Oranienbaum and St. Petersburg, but the most luxurious of them was his official residence - the Italian Palace.

The construction of the palace began in 1717, by order of A.D. Menshikov. Johann Braunstein was chosen as the Chief Architect. Many Italian masters worked under his leadership, hence the name of the palace. Throughout the nineteenth century, the palace was rebuilt more than once by the architect E.H. Anert, and according to the drawings of the architect A.N. Akutin.

In 1926, the building was badly damaged by fire. After that, the palace was reconstructed, and received the status of the House of Officers. Until recently, it housed the Baltic Fleet Theater and the Kronstadt Sailor Club, as well as the headquarters of the Krasnoznamennaya Training Battleship Division. The Italian Palace also housed a television and radio company, a cafe, the Kronstadt marine hydrometeorological station, the publishing house of the Morskaya newspaper, and a branch of the Kronstadt Fortress Central Naval Museum. In autumn 2008, the headquarters of the Leningrad Naval Base was redeployed to the palace.

Today the Historical and Memorial Hall of A.S.Popov is available for visiting in the Italian Palace.