Monument to Giovanni Paolo II

The monument dedicated to Pope Giovanni Paolo II (Karol Jòzef Wojtyla, Wadowice, 18 May 1920 - Vatican City, 2 April 2005) was commissioned from the sculptor Oliviero Rainaldi by the Silvana Paolini Angelucci Onlus Foundation on the occasion of the celebrations for the beatification of the pontiff, which took place on 1 May 2011.

The work is located in Piazza dei Cinquecento, in front of the main entrance to Termini railway station, and was inaugurated on May 18 of the same year, the anniversary of the pontiff's birth.

The sculpture, titled Conversations, measures 6 meters tall and is composed of several bronze alloy plates assembled by welding. The surface has a silvery patina that tends to fade toward green.

The monument has a dome-shaped structure: the pontiff is depicted standing, in the act of opening his large merciful cloak to symbolically welcome inside the faithful and pilgrims from around the world and, more generally, all the travelers who disembark every day at Termini.

The image of the Pope, in addition to referencing the well-known iconography of Our Lady of Mercy, recalls a historic, universally known photo that portrays him in the playful gesture of wrapping his cloak around a child sitting on a step next to him.

The skyline of Rome, engraved inside the cloak like a watermark, is intended to underline the close bond that has always united the Pope and the city, while, on the back of the cope, the presence of the papal coat of arms, with the large letter M, and the apostolic motto TOTUS TUUM, recall Giovanni Paolo II's deep devotion to the Virgin.

The monument was initially placed in the centre of a circular flowerbed, bordered by small rose bushes. After its inauguration in 2011, it was replaced with a slightly inclined gravel and concrete base of the same shape. The clearing was then protected by a low metal fence, bearing a metal plaque with the inscription that the work is a donation to the city of Rome from the Silvana Paolini Angelucci Foundation and the sculptor. Once the area was completed, the monument was re-inaugurated on November 19, 2021.

Monument to John Paul II. Ph. Turismo Roma