Where It's Located
The Rome Italy Temple is located at Via di Settebagni 376, Rome, Italy, on an elevated 14.5-acre (5.9-hectare) property in northeastern Rome near the Grande Raccordo Anulare, the circular beltway surrounding the city.
The temple complex is surrounded by Roman pines and olive trees and includes much more than the temple itself. The property also contains a visitors' center, arrival center, patron accommodation center, stake center, family history center, and distribution center.
The setting is particularly peaceful considering its location near one of Rome's major highways. The landscaped grounds create a transition from the busy modern city to a quieter environment centered around the temple.
Getting There
Travelers from the United States will generally fly into Leonardo da Vinci–Fiumicino Airport (FCO), Rome's primary international airport. Rome is one of Europe's major aviation hubs, with extensive connections to cities throughout the United States and Europe.
The temple is located northeast of central Rome, so travelers staying near the historic center should allow additional time for transportation to the temple complex.
Because the temple is located within Rome itself, a visit can easily be incorporated into a larger Italian itinerary. Travelers can combine a temple visit with Rome's ancient ruins, Renaissance art, historic churches, museums, and famous landmarks.
A Bit of History
The Rome Italy Temple was announced by President Thomas S. Monson on October 4, 2008, during the October General Conference. It became the first temple built in Italy and the thirteenth Latter-day Saint temple constructed in Europe.
The announcement was met with tremendous enthusiasm from Italian Latter-day Saints. At the time, membership and the number of stakes in Italy had been growing rapidly, and Italian members had been traveling to the Bern Switzerland Temple for temple worship. Temple attendance by Italian Saints had become particularly significant within the Bern temple district.
For members in Italy, the announcement represented much more than the construction of another temple. It marked the arrival of a permanent temple in a country with a long and complicated history for the Church.
The Early History of the Church in Italy
The story of the Rome Italy Temple is closely connected to the history of Latter-day Saints in Italy.
The first missionaries arrived in Genoa on June 25, 1850, only a few years after the Saints arrived in the Salt Lake Valley. Among those early missionaries was Lorenzo Snow, who later became the fifth President of the Church. During the first few years of missionary work, 221 people were baptized and organized into three branches.
Missionary work largely stopped in Italy during the early 1860s because of local opposition and a request that Italian members immigrate to Utah. An attempt to reopen missionary work in 1900 was also rejected by the Italian government.
The Church was eventually reestablished in Italy in 1951, and missionary work officially resumed in 1965 after government permission was granted. By 1978, Church membership in Italy had grown to more than 7,000, and by 1990 it had reached approximately 14,000.
That long history makes the eventual construction of a temple in Rome particularly meaningful.
Temple Site
The Church had purchased the property for the future temple in the late 1990s. The site originally contained an Italian villetta, a small residential-style building that had once served as an apartment for full-time missionaries. The villetta was eventually removed to make way for the temple complex.
Construction in Rome presents a unique challenge because potential building sites must be examined for ancient Roman archaeological remains.
Before construction could proceed, trenches were dug throughout the property to search for ruins. Remarkably, no ancient ruins were found on the temple property, although an old Roman village was discovered only about 100 yards beyond the property boundary.
The property also underwent zoning modifications that allowed the Church to develop the entire parcel rather than only the small portion that had initially been approved for construction.
Groundbreaking and Construction
President Thomas S. Monson presided over the groundbreaking and site-dedication ceremony on October 23, 2010. Numerous Church leaders and Italian government officials attended the historic event.
Construction began in earnest in July 2011 and initially progressed steadily.
The project later experienced significant delays caused by contractor difficulties. By early 2014, progress had slowed considerably. The Church issued a statement in January 2015 explaining that the difficulties were unrelated to the temple itself and that work would resume at a normal pace.
Foreign contractors were eventually brought in to help complete the project. During 2015 and 2016, significant work focused on replacing substandard materials and bringing the building up to the standards required by the Church.
A major milestone came on March 25, 2017, when the angel Moroni statue was installed atop the eastern spire.
Open House and Dedication
The public open house for the Rome Italy Temple was held from January 28 through February 16, 2019. The 19-day open house allowed members of the public to tour the completed temple before its dedication.
The temple was dedicated by President Russell M. Nelson from March 10 through March 12, 2019, in seven dedicatory sessions.
The dedication was an extraordinary moment in Church history.
For the first time outside the United States, the entire First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles gathered together in one location. All fifteen Church leaders were photographed in the visitors' center in front of reproductions of Bertel Thorvaldsen's Christus and the twelve apostles.
The event demonstrated the historical importance the Church placed on the temple and on its relationship with Italy.
Design and Architecture
The Rome Italy Temple contains approximately 41,010 square feet (3,810 square meters) of floor space and rises approximately 156 feet 3 inches (47.6 meters) above the ground.
Its exterior is primarily constructed of cast-in-place concrete with a façade of Bianco Sardo granite, quarried and carved in Italy.
The temple has two attached end spires, with an angel Moroni statue positioned between them. The unusual twin-spire arrangement gives the building a distinctive silhouette.
The exterior windows feature art glass incorporating a floral pattern inspired by the olive trees growing on the temple property.
Olive Trees and Italian Landscaping
The landscaping is one of the most memorable aspects of the Rome temple complex.
Existing Roman pines were preserved, and 32 original olive trees were relocated around the property. Some are believed to be as much as 150 years old.
Four particularly impressive olive trees were planted in the main piazza. Although they were not original to the property, they were purchased in northern Italy and are estimated to be between 400 and 500 years old.
The temple grounds also include fountains, reflecting pools, streams, travertine walkways, and Italian stonework.
These landscaping choices help the temple feel deeply connected to its Roman setting rather than simply being a building transported into another country.
Inside the Temple
The Rome Italy Temple contains two instruction rooms, three sealing rooms, and one baptistry. The instruction rooms use a two-stage progressive design.
The interior incorporates extensive Italian stonework. Perlato Svevo marble, quarried in Italy, is used throughout the floors, walls, stone bases, and countertops. Additional marble and stone were sourced from Italy, Spain, Turkey, Brazil, and other countries.
One of the most distinctive interior elements is the floor design in the baptistry and grand stair lobby. The pattern was inspired by Michelangelo's Piazza del Campidoglio on Rome's Capitoline Hill, particularly its famous oval design.
The same artistic influence appears in other parts of the temple, creating a connection between the building and Rome's extraordinary artistic heritage.
Murano Glass and Italian Craftsmanship
The temple contains more than 200 decorative lighting fixtures, many of which were made from Murano glass from Venice. The temple also features elaborate chandeliers, including fixtures incorporating Swarovski crystal and 24-karat gold detailing.
The use of Venetian glass is particularly appropriate for a temple in Italy. It incorporates a famous Italian artistic tradition into a building designed for Latter-day Saint worship.
The interior also uses Italian gypsum plaster, Italian stone, and other materials and craftsmanship from throughout the country.
The Visitors' Center
One of the greatest advantages for travelers is that the Rome Italy Temple complex includes a visitors' center open to the public.
The visitors' center contains reproductions of Bertel Thorvaldsen's Christus and the twelve apostles.
The connection to Rome is especially interesting. Thorvaldsen's original statues were sculpted in Rome and transported to Copenhagen in 1838, where they were placed in Vor Frue Kirke, Denmark's National Cathedral.
For travelers who are unable to enter the temple itself, the visitors' center provides an excellent opportunity to learn more about Latter-day Saint beliefs, temples, and the significance of the Rome complex.
The Temple Complex
The Rome Italy Temple is actually the centerpiece of a larger religious and cultural complex.
The property includes:
- The temple
- A stake center
- A public visitors' center
- A family history center
- An accommodation center
- Formal landscaped grounds
- An arrival center
- A distribution center
The family history center provides facilities that members of the public can use for genealogical research, while the accommodation center provides lodging for temple workers and patrons traveling long distances.
This makes the Rome complex more than simply a temple. It functions as a significant center for Latter-day Saint worship, family history, education, and community activity in Italy.
Visiting Rome
A temple trip to Rome offers an extraordinary opportunity to combine Latter-day Saint history with some of the world's greatest historical and artistic landmarks.
The Colosseum, Roman Forum, Pantheon, Trevi Fountain, Vatican City, St. Peter's Basilica, Spanish Steps, and Capitoline Hill are all major destinations within Rome.
The temple's connection to Michelangelo, ancient Roman landscaping, Italian marble, Venetian glass, and the city's broader Christian history makes it especially fitting for a traveler already exploring Rome's religious and cultural heritage.
The temple itself is reserved for those who meet the requirements for temple worship, but the visitors' center is open to the public.
A Historic Temple for Italian Latter-day Saints
The Rome Italy Temple represents the culmination of more than a century and a half of Latter-day Saint history in Italy.
From the arrival of Lorenzo Snow and the first missionaries in 1850, through decades when missionary work was restricted, to the reestablishment of the Church in the twentieth century, Italian Saints waited many generations for a temple in their own country.
When the temple was finally dedicated in 2019, it represented a remarkable milestone in that history.
The temple's dedication also came after another important development for the Church in Italy: the Italian government had formally recognized the Church through an intesa, an agreement that granted it the country's highest level of legal recognition for religions outside the Roman Catholic Church. That agreement was signed into law in 2012.
Final Thoughts
The Rome Italy Temple is one of the most historically and architecturally significant Latter-day Saint temples in Europe.
As Italy's first temple, it represents the culmination of a remarkable story that began with early missionaries in Genoa in 1850 and eventually led to the establishment of a major temple complex in the heart of the country.
Its architecture is equally impressive. Italian granite and marble, ancient olive trees, Roman-inspired landscaping, Michelangelo-inspired floor patterns, Venetian Murano glass, and Italian craftsmanship make the temple uniquely connected to its surroundings.
Perhaps the most remarkable moment came at the dedication in March 2019, when the entire First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles gathered outside the United States for the first time in Church history.
For Latter-day Saint travelers from the United States, the Rome Italy Temple offers an opportunity to experience temple worship while exploring one of the world's greatest historic cities. With its public visitors' center, family history facilities, beautiful grounds, and proximity to Rome's extraordinary landmarks, it is one of the most worthwhile temple destinations in Europe.
Scott & Riah
Brough Made
broughmade.com
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