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President Russell M. Nelson dedicated the Rome Italy Temple in seven sessions from March 10 to March 12, 2019.
Historically, this marked the first time in Church history where all members of the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles gathered outside of the United States. President Nelson said he received revelation from the Lord to invite all senior leaders to the dedication.
Justin Bray, a historian for the Church History Department, said it’s rare for all members of the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles to gather outside of Church headquarters. What adds further significance is they met in a place which is significant to the history of Christianity, he added.
Being able to visit the land of their apostolic predecessors, Elder Dale G. Renlund of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said it was like “paying homage to them and homage to the gospel that we all preach.”
Upon this experience, Elder Gary E. Stevenson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said when people refer to Rome as the “Eternal City,” he perceives it as the Eternal City for all Latter-day Saints.
Their time in Rome will be a blessing to people all over the world, as they now have the opportunities to share their experiences in the holy land, President Nelson shared.
Presiding Bishop Gérald Caussé said, “The Rome story has been a long story,” remarking on the prolonged process of the construction of the temple. The long process was a great opportunity “to learn and to experience the miracles of the Lord.”
Elder Massimo de Feo, the first General Authority Seventy from Italy and then-second counselor of the Europe Area Presidency, said he didn’t expect President Monson to announce a temple to be built in Italy. He said, “This was a dream. The dream then became a vision of faith.”
With the temple, Elder Alessandro Dini Ciacci, an Area Seventy and chairman of the local open house and dedication committee, said the Italian community has been able to learn more about the Church. “Now they are all aware of what this means. They have a lot of questions for us. There has been heightened interest in who we are and what we do.”
Dedicatory prayer excerpt: “In this ancient and great city that has stood since biblical times — in this historic nation of Italy — we acknowledge the ministry of two of Thy Son’s early Apostles, Peter and Paul, who once blessed this land with their labors. May the influence of their abiding testimony of Jesus Christ continue to be felt among the vital values of this great country.”
Read the dedicatory prayer of the Rome Italy Temple here.
During April 2008 general conference, President Thomas S. Monson announced plans to construct a temple in Rome, Italy.
President Thomas S. Monson presided over the groundbreaking ceremony for the Rome Italy Temple.
On Jan. 14, 2019, Elder David A. Bednar and Elder Ronald A. Rasband of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles headed the first wave of tours for journalists and visitors to the site. Two weeks later, an open house was held for more public viewing until Feb. 16, 2019.
From March 10 to March 12, 2019, President Russell M. Nelson dedicated the Rome Italy Temple in seven sessions.
On Oct. 4, 2008, President Thomas S. Monson announced plans to build a temple in Rome, Italy. Two years later, he presided over the groundbreaking ceremony for the Rome temple on Oct. 23, 2010.
President Russell M. Nelson dedicated the temple in seven sessions from March 10 to March 12, 2019. He shared the significance of the temple’s location, which is home to the ministry of the Apostles Peter and Paul.
Measuring three stories high and 40,000 square feet, the architecture of the Rome Italy Temple draws inspiration from ancient Rome. According to architect Neils Valentiner, the design was based on a Roman Catholic church called the San Carlino. He said the temple bears curvatures on the interior and exterior to match the ancient design.
The interior is made from elements including Perlato Svevo, Cenia marble, sapele, burl and cherry wood millwork and Murano glass fixtures from Venice. Adorning art glass reflects inspiration from the life of Christ and olive tree’s surrounding the temple. The olive trees are symbolic of the hope of the Resurrection of Christ, said Elder David A. Bednar.
The piazza links together the temple, visitors’ center, multifunctional meetinghouse and temple patron housing.
4 October 2008
10 March 2019
Via di Settebagni 376
Rome, Rome 00139
Italy
Via di Settebagni 376
Rome, Rome 00139
Italy
This was the 12th temple built in Europe and the first built in Italy.
The dedication marked the first time in Church history when all members of the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles gathered outside of the United States.
The 15-acre temple site used to be a farm, from which many olive trees were preserved, a villa for full-time missionaries to reside at and gathering place for members and their activities.
The olive trees in the piazza, both preserved from the site’s farm and ancient ones from Northern Italy, range in age from 400 to 500 years old.
The original sculptures of Jesus Christ and the Twelve Apostles, made by Bertel Thorvaldsen in the 1800s and now residing in Copenhagen, were digitally mapped to replicate the statues in the visitors’ center.
Elder Lorenzo Snow of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles was called to establish the Church in northern Italy and performed the first baptism in Italy in 1850.
A fountain flows from the temple toward the Christus statue in the visitors’ center, symbolizing the living water of Jesus Christ.
This was the 12th temple built in Europe and the first built in Italy.
The dedication marked the first time in Church history when all members of the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles gathered outside of the United States.
The 15-acre temple site used to be a farm, from which many olive trees were preserved, a villa for full-time missionaries to reside at and gathering place for members and their activities.
The olive trees in the piazza, both preserved from the site’s farm and ancient ones from Northern Italy, range in age from 400 to 500 years old.
The original sculptures of Jesus Christ and the Twelve Apostles, made by Bertel Thorvaldsen in the 1800s and now residing in Copenhagen, were digitally mapped to replicate the statues in the visitors’ center.
Elder Lorenzo Snow of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles was called to establish the Church in northern Italy and performed the first baptism in Italy in 1850.
A fountain flows from the temple toward the Christus statue in the visitors’ center, symbolizing the living water of Jesus Christ.
