Experience this Rare Jubilee Year in Haute Roman Style

EVERY 25 YEARS, THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH celebrates a Jubilee Holy Year—a time of spiritual renewal and reflection. In 2025, as Italy celebrates another Jubilee, over 30 million visitors are expected to journey to the Eternal City. This tradition, dating back to Pope Boniface VIII’s initiation of the first Holy Year in 1300, is not just a religious event but a profound connection to history.

THE ETERNAL CITY RENEWED
As the epicenter of Italy’s religious and political past, Rome is the key destination during the Jubilee Year. Its awe-inspiring architecture and historic monuments, such as the Vatican and St. Peter’s Basilica, draw visitors. To give a sense of the type of history the Jubilee illuminates, in 1475, Pope Sixtus IV commissioned Michelangelo to create the Sistine Chapel for that year’s Jubilee.

Along with its magnificent history, a sweeping €4.3 billion revitalization has given Rome a renewed sense of opulence and accessibility. Under Pope Francis’s selected theme, ‘Pilgrims of Hope,” the city has adopted the tagline ‘Rome is Transforming”- for good reason.

Treasured monuments have been meticulously restored. The Trevi Fountain, Bernini’s Fountain of the Four Rivers, Fontana del Moro, and Fontana del Nettuno glisten anew, inviting travelers to revisit these icons of artistic triumph.

One of the most striking enhancements is Piazza Pia, a formerly traffic-choked zone between Castel Sant’Angelo and St. Peter’s Basilica, now reborn as a pedestrian-friendly promenade. The spacious new square can accommodate up to 150,000 people and offers a more serene passage into the heart of the Vatican-just steps from where emperors and popes once shaped the world.

Speaking of emperors, high above the Roman Forum, a vineyard grows in the shadow of imperial ruins on the legendary Palatine Hill, symbolizing Rome’s viticultural past. Vigna Barberini, part of the Parco Archeologico del Colosseo’s green initiative, now nurtures Bellone grapes-an ancient white varietal enjoyed since the days of the Roman Empire.

Walking among these vines, where emperors once strolled, offers an exclusive moment of serenity and symbolism: The vineyard’s revival is part of a broader movement to re-green the city, with 100 new parks in the works and increased biodiversity woven into urban life.

Rome in 2025 offers a rare opportunity to walk in the footsteps of popes and saints, to witness a city reborn, and to indulge in the finest offerings of Italian culture.

EPICUREAN ROME
No journey to Rome is complete without culinary indulgence and historical immersion, and the following options will not disappoint.

Il Pagliaccio (Two Michelin Stars)
Tucked away in the heart of Rome, Il Pagliaccio offers a creative tasting menu by chef Anthony Genovese, blending Italian and Asian influences. It is elegant and intimate-ideal for a special Jubilee evening.

Aroma Restaurant (One Michelin Star)
Set on a rooftop terrace with a front row seat to the Colosseum, Aroma offers modern Roman cuisine with spectacular views. It is a perfect lunch or dinner stop after exploring ancient sites.

Antico Arco
Here’s a spot to experience modern Roman cuisine in a stylish setting atop Janiculum Hill. It’s known for refined dishes, such as black truffle carbonara, and its stellar wine list.

EXHIBITIONS & CULTURAL EVENTS FOR THE JUBILEE YEAR
Michelangelo and Sacred Art, Capitoline Museums
‘The Treasures of the Farnese Family” showcases 140 Renaissance works, including paintings, sculptures, and artifacts. This collection offers insights into the artistic patronage of Pope Paul III and his descendants. The exhibition runs through May 1 , 2025, at the Villa Caffarelli within the Capitoline Museums.

Sacred Music Jubilee Series, Auditorium Parco della Musica The Jubilee Series is a year-long concert series blending sacred music, choral masterpieces, and contemporary compositions inspired by pilgrimage and spiritual themes. Notable performances include works by Arvo Plrt and unique collaborations with Vatican choirs. As part of the series, the Vatican is offering the ‘Jubilee of Artists and the World of Culture” from February 15-1 , 2025.

The Olivia Decker Power of Music Concert Series
San Francisco’s Olivia Decker Power of Music Concert Series will host a fundraising concert at the Vatican in Rome on October 2, 2025, for Pope Francis’s Scholas Foundation. The group will also perform at Naples Opera House Teatro San Carlo on September 25 and at the Regatta on Isola Li Galli from May 7-22, 2025.

Editor’s Note: This story was written before Pope Francis passing, as he was preparing for what was expected to be a landmark Jubilee Year in 2025—an event that now carries even greater weight. As the Vatican navigates this historic transition, details about the Jubilee Year may evolve.