Rome Italy Temple

The Rome Italy Temple is a temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) in Rome, Italy. The temple serves church members in Italy, as well as Malta, Greece, Cyprus, Albania and parts of Romania.[2] LDS Church President Thomas S. Monson initially announced the temple in 2008, a groundbreaking took place in 2010, and the temple opened with a dedication in 2019.[3]

Rome Italy Temple
Number 162
Dedicated 10 March 2019 (10 March 2019) by
Russell M. Nelson
Site 14.8 acres (6 hectares)
Floor area 40,000 sq ft (3,700 m2)
Preceded by Barranquilla Colombia Temple
Followed by Kinshasa Democratic Republic of the Congo Temple
Official website• News & images

History
Mayor Gianni Alemanno visiting the community of Rome (2013)

On 4 October 2008, Monson announced plans to build a temple in Rome, Italy.[4] The temple site was purchased by the LDS Church during the late 1990s and was originally the site of a home; which was razed during the fall of 2009.[5] In preparation for the construction, and as part of the permit process, all potential building sites in Rome must undergo a search for ancient Roman ruins by digging trenches every 10 to 15 feet apart across the entire property. Following the search for ruins on the temple property, it was announced that none were found, and construction would be permitted.[5]

The groundbreaking ceremony for the temple was held 23 October 2010, with Monson presiding.[6] Only invited guests were allowed to be at the groundbreaking, but to allow all members to participate the ceremony was rebroadcast to LDS meetinghouses in Italy the following day.[7] Dignitaries at the groundbreaking included Vice Mayor of Rome, Giuseppe Ciardi, Italian senator Lucio Malan,[8] along with Monson, William R. Walker, and Erich W. Kopischke of the LDS Church.[9]

On March 29, 2018, the LDS Church announced that a public open house would be held from January 28 through February 16, 2019, excluding Sundays. All 15 of the LDS Church apostles attended the temple's dedication.[10] This is believed to be the first time the entire First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles were in the same location outside the United States.[10]

The temple was formally dedicated in three sessions on March 10, 2019 by LDS Church president Russell M. Nelson, with two more sessions planned for each of the following two days.[11]

In 2020, the Rome Italy Temple was closed in response to the coronavirus pandemic.[12]

Location
The temple under construction in 2013.
Rome Italy Temple at night
Model of Rome Italy Temple grounds

The temple occupies part of a 15-acre (61,000 m2) LDS Church-owned site near the Grande Raccordo Anulare ring road skirting Cinquina in the northeast of Rome.[13] This site is located in Rome's III (formerly IV) municipio, along the via di Settebagni.[7]

The temple’s campus includes a church meetinghouse, a visitors’ center, a Family History Center, a piazza, guest housing, and landscaped gardens and fountains.[4] The visitors' center houses a copy of Bertel Thorvaldsen's Christus statue, as well as copies of his twelve apostle statues found in the Lutheran Church of Our Lady cathedral in Copenhagen.[14]

See also

Notes
  1. Mikita, Carole (October 4, 2008). "LDS Church plans temples in Rome, 4 other locations". KSL.com. Retrieved 15 October 2012.
  2. Povoledo, Elisabetta. "In Center of Catholicism, New Mormon Temple Invites Curious Romans for a Look", The New York Times, 17 February 2019. Retrieved on 22 March 2020.
  3. Last, First. "Latter-day Saint President Russell Nelson dedicates Rome Temple day after historic meeting with Pope Francis", The Salt Lake Tribune, 10 March 2019. Retrieved on 22 March 2020.
  4. Noyce, David. "Get the first look at Latter-day Saints’ new showcase temple in Rome", The Salt Lake Tribune, 14 January 2019. Retrieved on 22 March 2020.
  5. Acerson Family (2008), Roman Italy Temple, archived from the original on May 21, 2009, retrieved 7 December 2009
  6. Swensen, Jason (30 October 2010), "Groundbreaking for Rome Italy Temple", Church News, retrieved 17 August 2016
  7. Satterfield, Rick, "Rome Italy Temple", ChurchofJesusChristTemples.org, retrieved 17 August 2016
  8. "Rome Italy Temple update", Church News, July 10, 2012, retrieved 2012-10-31
  9. "Ground broken for LDS temple in Rome", KSL.com, October 23, 2010, retrieved 2012-10-31
  10. Noyce, David. "A historic first: All 15 top Latter-day Saint leaders will be in Rome for temple dedication this weekend", The Salt Lake Tribune, 8 March 2019. Retrieved on 22 March 2020.
  11. "Rome Italy Temple Is Dedicated: The cornerstone ceremony is held". Newsroom. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. 10 March 2019.
  12. Stack, Peggy Fletcher. "All Latter-day Saint temples to close due to coronavirus", The Salt Lake Tribune, 26 March 2020. Retrieved on 28 March 2020.
  13. "New Temple Site Locations Announced", Newsroom, LDS Church, 7 October 2008, retrieved 2012-10-31
  14. Carreon, Ryan (October 27, 2012), "LDS visitors center in Rome to feature recreated Christus statue", Deseret News, retrieved 2012-10-31
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