Italy News: Rome gets ready to host Jubilee Year 2025.

Rome's centre-left mayor Roberto Gualtieri has been named 'extraordinary commissioner' for the Vatican's Jubilee Year 2025 in the Italian capital.

The mayor was appointed "to ensure the functional interventions for the celebration of the Jubilee of the Catholic Church 2025 in the city of Rome", reports Italian news agency ANSA.

The widely-expected appointment was announced following a meeting of the Italian cabinet and premier Mario Draghi on Monday.

In a post on Twitter, Gualtieri wrote that he will do all he can "so that Rome arrives at this great spiritual event as a more modern and liveable capital ready to welcome millions of pilgrims and tourists."

Ahead of his election last October, the mayor identified jubilee preparations as an important priority for Rome, along with the city's candicacy for Expo 2030.

• Italy presents Rome bid for Expo 2030

Traditionally a jubilee year results in a major influx of visitors to Rome resulting in the need for the city, the Catholic Church and the Lazio region to pool resources, with priorities including health, transport, security, civil protection, tourism and hospitality.

Commentators have suggested that the infrastructure and services being put in place ahead of Jubilee Year 2025 could prove pivotal in helping Rome win its bid to host Expo 2030.

What is the Jubilee Year?

Vatican jubilees take place every 25 years and are designed as a "special year of grace, in which the Church offers the faithful the possibility of obtaining a plenary indulgence", according to Vatican News.

There was an "extraordinary" Holy Year of Mercy in 2015, at the surprise behest of Pope Francis, while the last ordinary jubilee was in the millennium year of 2000 when around 25 million pilgrims and tourists thronged the capital.

• Rome prepares for Jubilee Year 2015

The pope marks the event by opening the Holy Doors at St Peter's as well as the other papal basilicas of S. Giovanni in Laterano, S. Paolo fuori le Mura and S. Maria Maggiore.

Traditionally, the Jubilee begins just before Christmas and ends on the Epiphany of the following year, according to Vatican News, with the doors remaining open until the end of the holy year.

Ringrazio il Presidente Draghi e il CdM per la nomina a Commissario straordinario per #Giubileo2025. Metterò tutto il mio impegno affinché #Roma arrivi a questo grande evento spirituale come una capitale più moderna e vivibile pronta ad accogliere milioni di pellegrini e turisti.— Roberto Gualtieri (@gualtierieurope) January 31, 2022

Photo La Repubblica