On Thursday, 28 February, the Italian Embassy to the Holy See, in collaboration with the Delegation of the European Union in Rome, hosted the launch event for the Iter Europaeum at its headquarters in Palazzo Borromeo. The initiative, marking the Jubilee 2025, is a pilgrimage route through the European churches of Rome.
Originally launched in 2021 to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of diplomatic relations between the EU and the Holy See, the project has been renewed this year in anticipation of the influx of pilgrims arriving in Rome for the Holy Year. The route, accessible via https://www.itereuropaeum.eu/, includes 28 churches and basilicas within walking distance in central Rome, each historically or culturally linked to an EU member state, as well as to the European Union itself. These 28 sacred sites, each extraordinary in beauty and spanning various historical and artistic periods, reflect Europe’s rich cultural heritage, the shared roots of EU nations, and the deep connection with the Holy See.
The event featured an address by H.E. Archbishop Rino Fisichella, Pro-Prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelisation and Commissioner for the Jubilee 2025, who presented the itinerary designed by the Dicastery for the Holy Year, also dedicated to Europe’s presence in Rome. Other speakers included Professor Don Roberto Regoli, Professor at the Faculty of History and Cultural Heritage of the Church at the Pontifical Gregorian University, who provided a historical overview of pilgrimages to Rome, and Piero Damosso, journalist at TG1, who reflected on the European spirit.
The event was moderated by Grazia Serra, journalist and presenter at TV2000.
