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Rome revamps piazza in front of Lateran Basilica for Jubilee 2025

By: Wanted in Rome

Date:

03 Apr, 2024

Another major Jubilee 2025 project gets underway in Rome.

Rome has started works to transform the piazza in front of the papal Archbasilica of St John Lateran, or San Giovanni in Laterano, for the Vatican's Jubilee Year 2025.

The first phase of works began on Wednesday at the sprawling site outside the landmark basilica which is currently celebrating its 1,700th anniversary.

The €15 million project, being carried out by the city's infrastructure development and urban maintenance department, concerns a roughly 10,000-sqm area.

The existing grass lawns and pavements are to be replaced with geometric paving, flowerbeds, seating, light effects and water features including walk-in 'splash' fountains. The plan does not appear to include trees.

The city's public works councillor Ornella Segnalini described the project as "another major Jubilee construction site to redesign an urban space and make the most of its function as a place of faith and encounter".

#Giubileo2025, al via i lavori per la riqualificazione del piazzale antistante alla Basilica di #SanGiovanni in Laterano. Rifacimento della pavimentazione, aiuole e fontane a raso per contrastare le isole di calore.

Infohttps://t.co/ZnhTsTz32g #RomaSiTrasforma pic.twitter.com/iNBzQByATj
— Roma (@Roma) April 3, 2024

One major event associated with the piazza, Italy's annual May Day concert, will leave behind its traditional venue outside the basilica this year and move to the Circus Maximus.

Rome mayor Roberto Gualtieri pledged recently that the slew of public construction projects currently underway ahead of Jubilee Year 2025 would "change the face" of the Italian capital.