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Temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Rome italy temple.

162nd dedicated temple in operation

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The Rome Italy Temple sits on an elevated 15-acre site in northeast Rome near the Grande Raccordo Anulare, the circular beltway that surrounds the city. The picturesque country site, once adorned by a charming villetta, sits on the outskirts of the city at a freeway interchange. The parcel is punctuated with Roman pines and an exquisite stand of olive trees. The temple shares the property with a stake center, visitors' center, family history center, and accommodation center.

Temple Facts

The Rome Italy Temple was the thirteenth temple built on the continent of Europe and the first built in the country of Italy.

The Rome Italy Temple was built on the site of an Italian villetta, which had served for a time as an apartment for full-time missionaries.

The on-site office trailers used in the construction of the Rome Italy Temple were donated to community organizations once the office space could be relocated to the completed patron housing facility.

The dedication of the Rome Italy Temple marked the first time that the entire First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles gathered to one location outside the United States.

The resplendent interior of the Rome Italy Temple features beautiful Italian-quarried Perlato Svevo marble on floors, walls, and countertops. Magnificent floor work is featured in the baptistry and grand foyer, which reflects Michelangelo's design at the Piazza del Campidoglio on top of Rome's Capitoline Hill. The pattern is also seen in the sculpted off-white carpets in the Celestial and sealing rooms. 1

The visitors' center at the Rome Italy Temple features reproductions of Bertel Thorvaldsen's Christus statue and the twelve apostles. The originals were sculpted in Rome and transported to Copenhagen in 1838 to stand in Vor Frue Kirke, the National Cathedral of Denmark.

Temple Complex

The Rome Italy Temple is the centerpiece of a complex of buildings with religious and cultural significance to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints:

• Formal Grounds.   Meticulous landscaping that surrounds the entire complex, creating a peaceful, contemplative environment where visitors may feel the joy and beauty of God's creations.

Temple History

Announcement.

President Thomas S. Monson's announcement of the Rome Italy Temple produced wide smiles and an audible gasp of surprise from the congregation in the Conference Center at the Saturday Morning Session of the October 2008 General Conference.

Italian members met the announcement with the animated cheering and enthusiasm you might expect to see in a sports arena during a last-second win, explained President Massimo De Feo, president of the Rome Italy Stake. He added that after the temple announcement, the stake saw the baptism of full families for the first time. In the previous five years, the number of stakes in Italy had grown from three to six, and temple attendance at the distant Bern Switzerland Temple had been much higher from the Saints in Italy than from any other country in the temple district. 2

Temple Site

A charming Italian villetta that stood at the highest point of the Rome Italy Temple site was razed to make way for the buildings in the temple complex. The villetta had served for a time as an apartment for full-time missionaries.

Although just a small section of the site had been originally permitted for construction of the Rome Italy Temple, zoning modifications were approved that allowed for development of the entire parcel. 3

Building sites in Rome must be examined for Roman ruins before construction is permitted. The inspection is carried out by digging trenches every 10 to 15 feet across the property. The day that the Rome Italy Temple property was to be inspected, Church members in Rome held a special fast. No ruins were found over the entire property, yet an old Roman village was discovered just 100 yards beyond the property boundary line. The Church had purchased the property in the late 1990s. 4

Groundbreaking

President Thomas S. Monson presided over the groundbreaking ceremony for the Rome Italy Temple on Saturday, October 23, 2010. He was accompanied by Church officials including Elder William R. Walker, Executive Director of the Temple Department; Erich W. Kopischke, president of the Europe Area and his two counselors, Elder Gérald Caussé and Elder José A. Teixeira; Elder Alfredo L. Gessati, Area Seventy; President Massimo De Feo, president of the Rome Italy Stake; and President Raimondo Castellani, president of the Bern Switzerland Temple . Numerous government officials were also in attendance including Mr. Giuseppe Ciardi, vice mayor of Rome, and Senator Lucio Malan.

In his remarks, President Monson emphasized the unique and historic nature of the temple's construction with significance extending beyond the borders of Rome and Italy. He thanked the Saints for their faithfulness and commitment to follow the example of Jesus Christ, urging them to be good citizens. He said, we love, honor and obey the laws of the country, and we love, honor, and obey the laws of God. 5

Construction

Construction of the Rome Italy Temple began in earnest in July 2011 and progressed steadily over the next two and a half years. By early 2014, however, progress had slowed to a crawl. On September 7, members of the Rome Italy East Stake dedicated their fast to the construction progress of the temple. The long delays prompted an official statement from the Church in January 2015: "In recent months, progress on the Rome Italy Temple slowed due to contractor difficulties not related to this project. Those challenges have been addressed, and work will soon resume at a normal pace. No dates have been announced for completion. We are grateful that our members have extended their faith and prayers and sought heaven's help in seeing this important project through to completion."

In the months that followed, foreign contractors were flown in to oversee completion of the building as visas could be acquired. For much of 2015 and 2016, work focused on replacing subpar materials and completing tasks that would bring the temple to the standard contracted by the Church.

Angel Moroni

On March 25, 2017, construction of the Rome Italy Temple reached an important milestone with the installation of the angel Moroni atop the eastern spire. The event marked the steady progression of construction experienced under the new general contractor.

A media day for the open house of the Rome Italy Temple was held on Monday, January 14, 2019. "I've seen it under construction for two years now, but walking through it today was extraordinary, a very special experience," said Marcello De Vito, president of the Rome City Council. "It will certainly improve the architecture of our city." Elder David A. Bednar and Elder Ronald A. Rasband of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles lead tours for journalists and other political leaders and filmed a virtual tour . The general public was invited to tour the complex from January 28 through February 16, 2019. 6

The dedication of the Rome Italy Temple marked the first time in history when the entire First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles gathered to one location outside the United States. All fifteen brethren posed for a photograph in the visitors' center taken in front of the reproductions of Bertel Thorvaldsen's statues of the Christus and twelve apostles.

President Russell M. Nelson dedicated the temple in seven sessions held Sunday, March 10, through Tuesday, March 12, 2019. He said in his dedicatory prayer, "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."

Temple Design

The Rome Italy Temple is constructed primarily of cast-in-place concrete with a Bianco Sardo granite façade. The stone was quarried and carved in Italy by Savema (S.P.A.) of Pietrasanta, Italy.

Exterior glass features a floral effect influenced by olive trees on the temple site. The glass on all exterior windows, including those in the spires, is in a variety of hues. Holdman Studios and Glass Art Institute of Utah, USA, designed and created the art glass.

InSite Design Group of Utah, USA, used native plants throughout the temple grounds. The Roman pines located on the site were preserved from existing vegetation, as were 32 of the original olive trees, which were relocated to various areas on the grounds. They are thought to be up to 150 years old. The four main olive trees planted in the piazza, though not original to the site, were purchased in northern Italy and range in age from 400 to 500 years old.

Designed by Water Design Incorporated of Utah, USA, the main fountain cascades down into four additional pools and is constructed from Travertine stone with bronze grating. Additionally, the grounds feature a reflecting pool near the temple with a flowing stream leading to the visitors’ center, where a statue of the Christus is located.

Walkways surrounding the temple are constructed of Travertine and Porfido pavers. The stone, quarried from various locations and carved in Italy, was installed by Consorzio Italiano Del Forfido of Trento, Italy. The fence surrounding the temple site on three sides is constructed from plastered concrete, stone pilasters and custom wrought iron fencing. The design of the fences correlates with railings inside the temple and incorporates an oval motif design, a recurring theme in both the interior and exterior finishes. They were supplied and installed by Siro Marin of Padua, Italy.

The primary stone used on the floors, stone base, walls and countertops throughout the temple is Perlato Svevo. It was quarried and carved in Italy by Savema of Pietrasanta, Italy.

A variety of materials have been used on the floors of the temple. Many of the floors feature Perlato Svevo from Lucca, Italy. Accent stone is used on the floor in the baptistry and the grand stair lobby. Patterns were inspired by Michelangelo’s Piazza del Campidoglio located at the top of Capitoline Hill in Rome and include the artist’s intriguing oval design. Stones used in the floor patterns are cenia marble, quarried in Spain, and Mediterranean beige travertine, quarried in Italy. Sky lark marble, quarried in Brazil; emperado light marble, quarried in Turkey; and lapis lazuli are used as accents. In other areas of the temple, afyon sugar, Jerusalem gold marble and limestone, quarried in Turkey, and crema marfil marble, quarried in Spain, are utilized. Carpeting is of brown, blue, taupe and green hues with an organic leaf pattern, inspired by the site’s olive trees. Carpets in the celestial and sealing rooms are off-white with carvings reflected in the decorative painting and inspired by the Campidoglio. Carpeting is by Bentley of California, USA, and was installed by Commercial Flooring Systems located in Utah, USA.

The ceilings throughout the temple are adorned with simple, yet elegant, decorative painting in golds, blues, creams and greens. Some gold leafing is also featured. The designs, created and executed by Iconography from Utah, USA, were inspired by the olive tree, Roman acanthus leaves and the Campidoglio. The walls are painted with Italian gypsum plaster, and decorative plaster is used in the instruction rooms, above the grand stair area and in the brides’ room.

Art glass is featured in 19 doorways, one decorative partition and two lay lights. Though seen throughout the temple, it is most employed in the celestial room. Two basic designs were created for the glass: one of a symmetric, non-representational pattern, and the second the same olive tree pattern used in the exterior windows. A variety of hues were included in the glass pallet.

The temple has over 200 decorative lighting fixtures, most made of Murano glass from Venice, Italy, with designs ranging from simple organic textures to carved bowls. Nine chandeliers using Australian Swarovski Strass Crystal and 24k gold custom banding are featured in the instruction rooms. The celestial room chandelier contains rectangular prisms; the shape is repeated in the ceiling lay light. The grand stair chandelier, inspired by Chihuly, incorporates the Venetian leaf pattern. All were manufactured by Rocco Borghese of London, England.

A combination of painted and stained woods were used throughout the temple. The primary wood used is sapele. Accent woods include pommele, anigre, burl veneer and cherry. Materials were supplied by Fondell of Utah, USA, and installed by Thayne International of Utah and Picalarga of Rome, Italy.

Constructed of custom bronze and glass, the railing surrounding the baptismal font incorporates the oval motif used throughout other areas in the temple.

Doors are manufactured from sapele, pommele sapele and anigre. While some are painted, many doors feature an inlay pattern of two ovals, one on either end. They were supplied by Fondell of Utah, USA. The design is repeated in the door hardware, which was manufactured by Smith Design located in Texas, USA.

Most walls are painted gypsum plaster. Wall paint is by Nerobutto Tiziano & Francesco from Trento, Italy. Vinyl wallcoverings used in high-traffic areas are by Professional Painting Company of Utah, USA.

The ceilings are constructed of painted hard-lid gypsum plaster and glass fiber-reinforced gypsum.

The murals seen in the instruction rooms are by Leon Parson from Idaho, USA. Artwork in the baptistry depicting the Savior’s baptism is by Heather Theurer from Oregon, USA.

Temple Background

The growth of the Church in Italy has not been without its opposition. Just three years after the Saints arrived in the Salt Lake Valley, the first missionaries arrived in Genoa, Italy, on June 25, 1850, including Elder Lorenzo Snow, who would become the fifth president of the Church. Over the next three years, 221 people were baptized and organized into three branches. But most proselytizing in Italy stopped in the early 1860s in the face of local opposition and because of a request from Church leaders for Italian members to immigrate to Utah. An attempt to reopen missionary work in Italy in 1900 was refused by the government.

The Church was finally reestablished in Italy in 1951, following the conversion of Vincenzo di Francesca, who happened to find a burned copy of the Book of Mormon with a missing cover and title page. Italians who had joined the Church in other countries began to return to Italy during this period. They attended Church with LDS serviceman stationed in Italy in various branches. By the end of 1964, Church records showed 229 members in Italy. That same year, Elder Ezra Taft Benson, an apostle who would become the 13th president of the Church, petitioned the government for permission to resume missionary work. Permission was granted, and missionaries began to proselyte on January 27, 1965. By 1978, membership has grown to over 7,000 and increased to 14,000 by 1990. Today there are over 22,600 members organized into 10 stakes and 1 district. 7

Although missionary work had been allowed in Italy since 1964, the Church began in 2000 the lengthy process of seeking a concordat with the government that would grant it state-sponsored status. This status was granted to the Roman Catholic Church in a concordat signed by Mussolini—a relationship that was perpetuated into Italy's post-fascist constitution. Since 1984, however, the Catholic Church has had to share this level of government recognition with other religions operating in Italy. Approved churches become concordates, which receive tax funds and other rights from the government similar to those received by the Catholic Church. 8

At a London fireside, Elder Kenneth Johnson of the First Quorum of the Seventy related events that have contributed to the Italian government's official recognition of the Church. In October 2006, he accompanied other high-ranking Church leaders, including Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf, to a meeting in Rome to make a case for the Church to the government. President Uchtdorf noted the Church's longtime presence and reputation in Italy, but the presiding government official seemed unmoved. Instead, he related that he had traveled—without announcement—to Salt Lake City in preparation for the meeting. Two Italian sister missionaries had served as his guides on Temple Square. He noted the deep impression left on him by these two Italian citizens, and then inquired when the Church might build a temple in Rome. Once these papers are signed, Elder Uchtdorf replied. The officer signed. On April 4, 2007, Prime Minister Prodi gave his signature, and then it proceeded to Parliament. 9

With legal recognition still stalled in Parliament in late 2009, the Church took the step of hiring a Washington, D.C., lobbyist to help push through the approval. A. Elizabeth Jones, a former high-level State Department employee and ambassador to Kazakhstan, who is now an executive vice president at APCO Worldwide, is lobbying the U.S. embassy in Italy to support the Church's application. The intesa—an Italian term referring to an "understanding" with the government—would carry certain privileges including facilitating the authorization of bishops to perform civilly recognized marriages and making the renewal of visas for missionaries easier. 10

On May 13, 2010, the Italian Cabinet, or Council of Ministers, approved an intesa with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which would grant the Church Italy's highest status given to religions. The action would elevate the legal recognition of the Church from charitable foundation to official religion. 11

• Gerry Avant, "Temples reflect growth of the LDS Church," Deseret News 4 Apr. 2014.
• Massimo De Feo, "Massimo De Feo—Stake President in Rome, Italy," Mormon Channel: Into All the World 29 Apr. 2009.
• President and Sister Pacini, "Fast for Temple," Facebook 28 Aug. 2009.
• "Rome Italy Temple News," Online posting, 9 Nov. 2008.
• "Il Presidente Monson Presiede la Cerimonia del Primo Colpo di Piccone del Primo Tempio in Italia," Chiesa di Gesù Cristo dei Santi degli Ultimi Giorni 23 Oct. 2010.
• Aubrey Eyre, "First look: Elder Bednar, Elder Rasband tour the Rome Italy Temple with journalists and political dignitaries," Church News , 9 Aug. 2019.
• The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints News Release, "First Temple Announced in Rome," 4 Oct. 2008.
• Peggy Fletcher Stack, "LDS Church Wants to Be Official in Italy," The Salt Lake Tribune 9 Sept. 2000: A1.
• John F., "Two LDS Senators in London," Online posting, 21 May 2007.
• Carrie Levine, "For Italian Job, Mormons Ask a D.C. Insider for Help," The National Law Journal 6 Oct. 2009.
• "Il Consiglio dei Ministri ha approvato l'intesa della Chiesa di Gesù Cristo," Chiesa di Gesù Cristo dei Santi degli Ultimi Giorni 13 May 2010.
• The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints News Release, "Mormons in Italy Rejoice, Church Granted Country's 'Official' Status," 3 Aug. 2012.

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See: First Official Photos Inside the Rome Italy Temple

Public tours begin this month for the Rome Italy Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Italy, the Church’s 162nd operating temple in the world.

“It is beautiful,” said Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, who serves as chairman of the Temple and Family History Department. “The craftsmanship is expert and perfect.”

Rome Italy Temple tours begin 

► You'll also like: At Rome Italy Temple, Apostles Lead Rome's President and Other Visitors Through Temple

The Rome Italy Temple Visitors’ Center. 

Rome Italy Temple courtyard.

Decorative lighting in the Rome Italy Temple.

A stained-glass New Testament story of Jesus Christ ministering to those in need. The glass is located in the Rome Italy Temple Visitors’ Center. 

The Christus and the apostles in the Rome Italy Temple Visitors’ Center. 

Statues of the apostles of the Lord Jesus Christ in the Rome Italy Temple Visitors’ Center.

An interactive exhibit is located in the Rome Italy Temple Visitors’ Center.

An instruction room in the Rome Italy Temple.

A sealing room in the rome italy temple. .

This is another view of the celestial room in the Rome Italy Temple. Latter-day Saints go to the temple and feel it is heaven on earth.

The baptistry of the Rome Italy Temple.  

The recommend desk in the Rome Italy Temple.  

Grand staircase in the Rome Italy Temple.  

The grand staircase chandelier in the Rome Italy Temple was inspired by Chihuly. It incorporates the Venetian leaf pattern.

The Rome Italy Temple has various light fixtures. 

Artistic glass window in the Rome Italy Temple.  

Celestial room in the Rome Italy Temple.  

Artistic glass window in the Rome Italy Temple.

Stained-glass windows enhance the artistry of the doors in the Rome Italy Temple.

The artistic furnishings contribute to the beauty and feelings of reverence in the Rome Italy Temple.  

The bride’s room in the Rome Italy Temple.

Artwork on the exterior of the Rome Italy Temple. 

The celestial room chandelier contains rectangular prisms in the Rome Italy Temple.

Grand staircase in the Rome Italy Temple. 

Olive trees are located in the Rome Italy Temple courtyard.  

The Rome Italy Temple.  

Entry into the Rome Italy Temple.  

After years of construction, Italy’s first Latter-day Saint temple will be open for a free public open house from Monday, January 28, 2019, to Saturday, February 16, 2019, excluding Sundays.

The Rome Italy Temple is in northeast Rome near the village of La Cinquina Bufalotta. The temple’s architecture was inspired by ancient Rome. Its exterior is constructed from Bianco Sardo granite.

“This had to be one that when you walked onto this site, every person should feel like they were on an Italian site,” said architect Neils Valentiner. “They would recognize it because of the materials, because of the design, and because of the surrounding.”

Valentiner said the temple’s design was inspired by San Carlino, a Roman Catholic church in Rome. “The curved ceilings, the curved walls, the expression of the colonnades and columns. And that started this very early concept of a curved church, a curved temple and temple building both on the exterior as well as on the interior.”

The Rome Italy Temple is part of a 15-acre religious and cultural center that includes a multifunctional meetinghouse, a visitors’ center, a family history center and housing for visitors.

At the temple’s entrance, a floor-to-ceiling stained-glass wall depicts a scene from the life of the Savior Jesus Christ. Stained-glass windows are inspired by the olive tree.

Warm earth tones and blue, bronze and gold hues can be seen throughout the interior. Top artisans and craftsmen have installed the high-quality materials, which includes Perlato Svevo stone flooring quarried in northern Tuscany; Cenia marble from Spain; deep reddish brown Sapele, burl and cherry wood millwork; and Murano glass fixtures from Venice.

“We use the finest materials because it is the house of the Lord,” said Elder Bednar. “The temple is an expression of our love and devotion to the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. Nothing is too good for the Lord.”

“We hold our craftsmen to the highest possible standards,” explained Bret Woods, project supervisor.

Woods said the temple’s grand lobby staircase is an engineering feat. “It’s connected just at the top and the bottom, so it’s essentially a free-floating staircase — and of course, an elliptical shape.” The oval design of the staircase is reminiscent of Michelangelo’s Piazza del Campidoglio masterpiece near Capitoline Hill in Rome.

Original paintings hang in all areas of the temple, reminding temple guests of Jesus Christ and His teachings to follow Him. A picture in the baptistry depicts the Savior’s baptism by John the Baptist.

The baptistry’s purpose is in keeping with the Savior’s example to enter the waters of baptism and His commandment that all must be baptized. In the temple, patrons can act on behalf of those who did not have the chance to be baptized in this life.

The oval motif continues in the baptistry, where inlaid stone wraps around an elliptical font adorned with Roman-style acanthus leaves. The font is held up by 12 oxen representing the 12 tribes of Israel.

In the instruction room where Church members learn about God’s love, the creation and the purpose of life, a mural reveals a magnificent setting depicting Italy’s landscape ranging from the hills to the sea.

The Baroque-era feel of the bridal room is enhanced by the crystalline sconces and hand-painted chairs.

A seemingly endless reflection from the mirrors in the sealing rooms symbolizes eternity. In those rooms, Latter-day Saint faithful participate in sacred ceremonies that join families together forever.

An exquisite chandelier containing thousands of crystal prisms serves as the centerpiece of the celestial room, a space that represents the progression of reaching heaven. The room is also filled with elegant furnishings made by Italian artisans.

Visitors’ Center

In the visitors’ center, a life-size statue of the Christus accompanied by the original Twelve Apostles faces the temple through full-length windows. The statues are replicas of sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen’s works displayed in the Church of Our Lady in Denmark, except the Judas Iscariot figure has been replaced by a statue of the Apostle Paul. Special permission was received from the Lutheran Church to digitally scan the original figures. Carrara marble for the three-quarter scale statues was taken from the same quarry in Tuscany as the marble for Michelangelo’s David.

“When I saw the statues of the Savior, the Christus, and the Twelve Apostles, it was just a spiritually stunning moment for me,” said Elder Bednar.

The statues are complimented by an original mural of olive trees in an Italian countryside that serves as a backdrop.

The visitors’ center, temple patron housing and a meetinghouse connect to the temple through an Italian-style piazza or square constructed from native travertine.

“These artisan stone layers have been working for seven generations,” said Alberto Malara, senior assistant of Temple Facilities Management, who said the master stone layers spend 400 hours in the classroom.

The Church also salvaged 110-year-old Basalt cobblestones from the streets of Rome for the temple roundabout.

“If you look closely at some of these stones, you can see the grooves worn in by the passage of old wagon wheels,” described Malara.

Open House and Dedication

Church leaders will meet with the media and take them on tours of the Rome Italy Temple on Monday, January 14, 2019. VIP tours for leaders of government, business, legal, interfaith and humanitarian organizations will be held at the temple from Tuesday, January 15, through Tuesday, January 22, before the public open house begins on Monday, January 28.

Reservations for the public temple open house can be made online at templeopenhouse.lds.org .

The temple will be formally dedicated Sunday, March 10, 2019, through Tuesday, March 12.

Members will be able to perform ordinances in the new temple beginning Tuesday, March 19.

Construction began on the three-story, 40,000-square-foot temple on October 23, 2010, two years after the Rome Italy Temple was announced by Church President Thomas S. Monson. He and local Church and community leaders participated in the groundbreaking ceremony .

“It’s difficult to explain my feeling,” expressed Christian Bruno, a former Latter-day Saint missionary. “The Spirit was all around us. It was a great day for me, for my family and for all the Saints in Italy.”

Latter-day Saints and other Christians consider Rome to be one of the most historic locations in the world, a biblical city where the ancient apostles Peter and Paul preached the gospel of Jesus Christ.

In 1997, the Church purchased the temple site, an abandoned 15-acre farm, which included a villa, small olive orchard and outside pizza oven.

“I used to come here as a youth, and we used to organize small soccer games,” said Stephano Mosco, a local Latter-day Saint. “And there was a stone over there where we used to cook pizzas.”

Olive trees from the old farm were preserved, and ancient olive trees from northern Italy, ranging in age from 400 to 500 years old, are planted in the piazza.

“There’s tremendous symbolism in olives and in olive trees,” said Elder Bednar, who said the trees’ roots sink deep into the ground. “Whenever you cut the roots of an olive tree, they’ll sprout. They don’t die; they will continue to sprout. Some have suggested that perhaps that’s symbolic of the hope of the resurrection.”

The Church also preserved Italian stone pine trees on the property that line the stairs leading to the temple.

The temple will serve over 23,000 Church members living in Italy and in neighboring countries. Currently, there are more than 160 operating temples worldwide, including 12 in Europe.

“In our holy temples, available are the most sacred and important sacrament or ordinances that we receive as members of our Church,” taught Elder Bednar. “And those ordinances bring peace. They bring purpose. They’re a source of remarkable joy.”

The Latter-day Saint apostle continued: “All temples are significant because a temple is a point of intersection between the earth and heaven. A temple is the house of the Lord. It’s His house where we learn about Him, and we worship Him.”

Latter-day Saint temples differ from churches where members meet for Sunday worship services. Temples are considered “houses of the Lord” where the teachings of Jesus Christ are reaffirmed through marriage, baptism and other ceremonies that unite families for eternity.

Public Invited to Tour Rome Italy Temple

Open house and dedication dates announced.

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November 7, 2018 Update: In a letter sent to Church leaders, the First Presidency has provided additional information concerning the dedication dates of the Rome Italy Temple.

The public is invited to tour the first temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Italy. Church leaders announced the Rome Italy Temple will be open for a free public open house from Monday, January 28, 2019, to Saturday, February 16, 2019, excluding Sundays.

• Rome Temple
• Rome Italy Temple
• Rome Italy Temple Rendering

A few weeks before the open house, the public can make reservations at templeopenhouse.lds.org . The temple, located in northeast Rome near the Grande Raccordo Anulare, will be formally dedicated on Sunday, March 10, 2019, through Tuesday, March 12, 2019 .

President Russell M. Nelson, world leader of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, said, “The sacred ordinances performed in this holy temple will unite families for eternity. God loves all His children equally and has provided a way for them to be linked in love, generation to generation. We are thrilled to be able to dedicate a temple in this city replete with historical importance throughout the ages.”

When the Rome Italy Temple was announced in October 2008, the news was met with awe and thanksgiving by members of the Church in Italy and thousands of others throughout the world. Like all Christians, Mormons revere Rome as one of the most historic locations in the world, a biblical city where the ancient apostles Peter and Paul preached the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Construction began on the three-story, 40,000-square-foot building on October 23, 2010, when Church President Thomas S. Monson, along with Church and local community leaders, participated in the traditional groundbreaking ceremony.

The Rome Italy Temple is part of a 15-acre religious and cultural center that will include a multifunctional meetinghouse, a visitors’ center, a family history center and housing for visitors. The temple exterior is constructed from granite with decorative glazing. The interior finish is of the finest material and workmanship: marble, woodwork and decorative painting.

The temple will serve over 23,000 Church members living in Italy and in neighboring countries. Currently there are 159 operating temples worldwide, including 12 in Europe.

Mormon temples differ from churches where members meet for Sunday worship services. Temples are considered “houses of the Lord” where the teachings of Jesus Christ are reaffirmed through marriage, baptism and other ceremonies that unite families for eternity.

For more information about the purpose of temples and their importance to Latter-day Saints, please visit www.mormonnewsroom.org/topic/temples .

For more information about the Rome Italy Temple, please go to http://www.media-mormoni.it/articolo/tempio-di-roma .

Style Guide Note: When reporting about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, please use the complete name of the Church in the first reference. For more information on the use of the name of the Church, go to our online Style Guide .

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ROME ITALY TEMPLE TOURS AND CRUISES

“This morning, I am pleased to announce that . . a new temple will be built in Rome Italy”   - President Thomas S. Monson,  General Conference, October 4, 2008

2022/2023 Cruise & Tour dates coming soon

  The LDS Rome Temple was dedicated on March 10, 2019!

4 October 2008 Announced

23 October 2010 Groundbreaking

10 March 2019 Dedicated —  dedicatory prayer

We are now offering our Rome Temple tours and cruises, with new itineraries and schedules! We invite you to join us!

Rome has perhaps more Christian history associated with it than any other place except Israel, where Jesus Christ actually lived and taught . It is difficult to review the history of Christianity in a brief way, but the history has been at times a violent one. In 313 A.D., the Emperor Constantine made Christianity legal and Rome became the center of the Christian world.

The first Mormon missionary to enter Italy was future Mormon prophet Lorenzo Snow , who arrived in June 1850. After laboring in northern Italy for three years, he and fellow missionary Joseph Toronto had baptized 211 people into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, who were organized into three branches . In the 1860s, most missionary work in Italy ceased, due to local opposition. Church leaders requested the Italian converts to emigrate to Utah.

 It was not until 1951, following the conversion of a man named Vincenzo di Francesca, whose remarkable history sent him into a years-long search for the gospel, that the Church began to grow again in Italy. By 1964, church records showed 229 members in Italy, and Elder Ezra Taft Benson obtained permission from the Italian government to send proselytizing missionaries to Italy in 1965. In just 13 years, church membership had increased to 7,000, and had grown to 14,000 by 1990. The number of stakes doubled from three to six in the past five years, and today there are more than 22,600 members in Italy.

 In 2000, leaders of the Mormon Church began seeking official recognition from the Italian government. The lengthy process has been full of miracles. In October 2006, some church leaders met with Roman officials to plead their case, but officials seemed unmoved. The presiding government official however surprised the church leaders by telling them he had made an unannounced visit to Salt Lake City to prepare for meeting the Mormon Church officials in Italy. Two sister missionaries guided him around Temple Square , without knowing this man’s importance. He said they had left a deep impression on him. This official asked Church leaders when a temple might be built in Rome.

 When President Thomas S. Monson announced the Rome Italy Temple, Stake President Massimo De Feo said all the people attending the General Conference broadcast yelled for joy. Church leaders in Italy have seen a direct correlation between the announcement of the temple and missionary work. President De Feo said that for the first time ever in Italy, whole families are being baptized.

 In addition to these miracles, getting the building site approved was another story. To qualify for a building permit, the land must be free of any ancient Roman ruins. To check the land, the city officials actually dig trenches across the property in review–every 10 to 15 feet. This they would need to do for the 14.8 acres of land that had been previously purchased as a possible temple site in the 1990s. In the event that Roman ruins exist beneath, or on the property site, plans for construction are nullified and no permits are issued.

On the day that the city inspectors were to visit the property, members of The Church in Rome held a special fast. City officials found no trace of any Roman ruins on the entire acreage of selected property. Only 100 yards from the border of that same property however, they found the remnants of an old Roman village.

From the first one built and dedicated in Kirtland, Ohio in 1836, 159 operating Temples now dot the earth. Join us for a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to attend the Open House for a Latter-day Temple in Rome , Italy . You’ll also experience all the wonderful sights and history of this beautiful Mediterranean country, centered in the “Birthplace of the Renaissances”.

Brian Judd Tours Experience the World with Us!

LDS Temple of Rome Tour

Visit the lds rome temple with us pick up at your hotel, transportation to the temple, and back to your hotel. customized packages available.

Rated 5 stars on TripAdvisor Google and Facebook

What’s included

Pick up service at your hotel, transportation by private car to the temple & back to your hotel, tour of the temple area & the visitor center, customized tour packages available, flexible starting time, free time to fully enjoy your experience.

TOUR DESCRIPTION

Visit the gorgeous lds rome temple with us. relax and let us arrange everything: pick up at your hotel, transportation and return to your place., duration: about 4 hours.

Rome is one of the capitals of Christianity, and it’s definitely one of the holiest cities in the world. What city could be better to host this beautiful Temple?

What's included

Tour location.

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Send us an email for customized itineraries

Basic tour: 250,00 € for 2 people, 25 € per each additional adult. Pick up and transportation by private car included! The price for customized itineraries will change according to the sights added

Italian Dream!!!!!

Giovanni and Maurizio are excellent tour guides!! I can not say enough good things about them. My 2 sisters and I made our 1st trip to Rome it was incredible. We were awestruck at everything we saw. Our tours were tailor-made to our request and it was just the 3 of us. We took 3 different tours with Roads to Rome and they were all amazing. We never waited in lines, got right into every attraction. Giovanni and Maurizio took great care of us and we will never forget them and our wonderful time in Rome. If you are planning a trip to Rome you MUST contact them. You will not be disappointed!!!

– Maureen

AMAZING TOURS AND GUIDES!!

This is a first-class company!!! Both Giovanni and Maurizio are professional, entertaining, knowledgeable, personable, easy-going and very cool!!! These guys are amazing, their tours are first-rate and educational !!, They went over and beyond to satisfy and meet all our specific needs and requests. Giovanni and Maurizio literally worked overtime to coordinate and set up FOUR custom tours, for my family and my sister’s family over a three day period. They left no stone unturned, We didn’t have to worry about anything, they took care of every little detail.They responded to my numerous emails quickly and were a pleasure to work with. I highly recommend Roads to Rome Private Tours. They will take great care of you and you will get a memorable, incredibly interesting and quality tour!!

–  Jennifer C. 

Go with the experts!

We had a fabulous time with Giovanni exploring the UNESCO World Heritage sites Villa Adriana and Villa D’Este. Having his archaeologist perspective made the visit richer, imbuing substance and historical accuracy to the aesthetic appeal of the sites. Definitely, go with Roads to Rome for a unique experience!

– Annette & Joel

Exceptional day trips!

We are a family of five and enjoyed two wonderful days with our guide Tiziana. She was so sweet and very knowledgeable! Each day we were picked up by a driver in nice clean SUVs and brought to our destination. We went to Tivoli on the first day and visited Villa d”Este and Hadrian’s Villa. You couldn’t possibly get all the information about either of these two attractions from a guide book and/or internet searches. It took years of learning and loving archeology from Tiziana that truly brought these places to life. On the second day, we visited Castel Gandolfo, Frascati, and Nemi. We toured the summer residence of the Pope, only recently opened to the public…so interesting! Nemi is a charming little town noted for its creations with strawberries. Each day we stopped for lunch at great restaurants. Roads to Rome responded quickly to my initial inquiries. Their pricing is very fair. One small note: we especially appreciated the bottled water that our driver, Maurizio brought us on the second day.

– Rosella S.

Best Tour Company

We took 3 private tours from Roads to Rome: Rome in a Day, Pompei and Positano, and Florence in a Day. I wish I could give more than 5 stars because I’ve never experienced tours at this level. Our tour guide for Rome was led by a very personable guide named Giovanni who was more than qualified because he was an archeologist! Our Pompeii and Positano tour was led by Kylie who is an anthropologist. Emilia led our tour of Florence. She is an Art History major and very passionate about her home city. She made every art piece come alive for us. I was actually brought to tears. With this tour company, you aren’t getting a guide who memorized a script for your enjoyment. You are getting experts in each field. In addition, each guide has a warm and engaging personality day.

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Wonderful, personalized, A++++++++ tour guide

This is the 5th year (maybe more) that we have had the opportunity to use Roads to Rome for our university group. This year our guides were Maurizio and Siriana. Both were extremely knowledgable, fun, personable and easy-going (in a very busy city). If you are looking for the best, use Roads to Rome, period. Don’t go anywhere else!! Thank you Maurizio and Siriana!!!!

– The Evans and James Madison University

Highly recommend “Roads to Rome Private Tours”

Maurizio was our tour guide and was wonderful, knowledgeable about the sites, kept a really good pace for us, and somewhat of a celebrity among other tour guides. I had been to Rome before but had not done a tour of the historic sites. I’m so glad we went with Roads to Rome. I felt like a local was giving me the secrets of the city (and he was!). The tour felt highly personalized and not part of a corporate company that ushers you in and out of a site. If you want a private tour- this is the way to go.

-Roger and Doug

Anniversary visit to Europe

My wife and I were fortunate to spend our 35th wedding anniversary in Europe. Specifically, Italy, France, and Spain. Our tour guide from Roads to Rome, Maurizio, was absolutely spectacular!! His historical explanations of all the sites visited were amazing. While we had guides while in France and Spain, they did not measure up to our experience with Roads to Rome and Maurizio. We have already begun to refer Roads to Rome with our friends and family.

– Tony

Fun and Fascinating-Walking Tour

The excellent reviews reflect the service and experience. From start to finish we loved Giovanni and Roads to Rome. I sent an email stating which yours we were interested in and our dates and Giovanni replied that night with an itinerary. I paid the next day via a PayPal link and it was done! Easy. We did four tours in three days and our teenagers say they would not have done so much without Giovanni who made it fun, and easy to take in so much information.In fact his next career should be teaching! The Colosseum, Forum and Vatican are a must of course, but we all loved the Under Rome Tour. Giovanni bought to life the daily lives of ancient Romans amidst the complex layers of buildings detailing the historical and social contexts. Loved it all! Plus the restaurant recommendations and gelato stops were also first class.

– Jac

Only way to go when traveling to Rome

Maurizio was awesome during our planning stages. He made recommendations and he reached out to reassure us his guide would be waiting for us in Civitavecchia. He paired us with Beatriz who was AMAZING. She has so much knowledge, and she is excited and happy to share. Bea also took us to an AWESOME restaurant, an experience we will not likely forget any time soon. The BEST pasta we have ever had. When we go back to Rome, we are requesting BEA! Thank you for an amazing day

Excellent adventure in Rome

We had a limited window in which we could see the Vatican. On communicating through the website with Roads To Rome, we chose the early morning guided tour. We were lucky to have Maurizio as our guide as his experience and passion for the information made this an excellent decision. As a trained archaeologist his perspective and delivery were personalized to our questions. I would highly recommend R to R to anyone and especially North Americans. Thank you Maurizio, thank you Roads to Rome for an amazing morning. – Glen

Enrich your day or your vacation with one of these recommended tours

Create your perfect full-day combination or just book it for another day

Rome Walking Tour

Pick up and transportation included. Let an expert guide lead you in this private tour of Trevi Fountain, Pantheon, Spanish Steps, Piazza Navona

Early Vatican Tour

Enter 1 hour before the crowds, skip the line with your private tour guide and discover the Vatican treasures with our Early Vatican Tour.

Colosseum extended

Skip the line with us. Follow a professional private tour guide on this Colosseum tour that also includes the Basilica of Sain Clement’s (a unique underground site), the Roman Forum and the Palatine Hill.

Thanks to Mr. Carmelo Persico, who provided most of the pictures on this page.

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Photos Give a First Look Inside the Rome Italy Temple

Contributed By Scott Taylor, Church News managing editor

• 15 January 2019

Celestial room of the Rome Italy Temple.

Related Links

• Watch a video about the Rome Italy Temple.

The public phase of the Rome Italy Temple has begun, with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints opening its new sacred edifice in the Eternal City for the next four-plus weeks for a series of open house tours.

In conjunction with the start of the open house, the Church posted photos of the temple’s exterior and interior early Monday, January 14, on its Newsroom website .

“It is beautiful,” said Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles , who serves as chairman of the Temple and Family History Department, as quoted by Newsroom. “The craftmanship is expert and perfect.”

Design and exterior

The three-story, 40,000-square-foot temple features architecture inspired by ancient Rome and an exterior of Bianco Sardo granite.

Said architect Neils Valentiner: “This had to be one that when you walked onto this site, every person should feel like they were on an Italian site. They would recognize it because of the materials, because of the design, and because of the surrounding.”

Valentiner said the temple’s design was inspired by San Carlino, a Roman Catholic church in Rome, with “the curved ceilings, the curved walls, the expression of the colonnades and columns. And that started this very early concept of a curved church, a curved temple and temple building both on the exterior as well as on the interior.”

Visitors to the Rome Italy Temple are greeted at the entrance by a floor-to-ceiling stained-glass wall featuring a scene of the life of Jesus Christ, with additional art-glass throughout inspired by the olive tree and its leaves.

The temple’s predominant colors inside are earth tones and blues, bronzes, and gold throughout. Materials include Perlato Svevo stone flooring quarried in northern Tuscany; Cenia marble from Spain; Sapele, burl, and cherry wood millwork; and Murano glass fixtures from Venice.

The grand staircase in the temple’s lobby is considered an engineering feat, said project supervisor Bret Woods. “It’s connected just at the top and the bottom, so it’s essentially a free-floating staircase—and of course, an elliptical shape,” he said.

The grand staircase of the lobby of the Rome Italy Temple.

The statues of Peter, James, and John—three of Thorvaldsen’s ancient Apostles statues—are in the Rome Italy Temple Visitors’ Center.

The sun sets behind the Rome Italy Temple nearing completion on April 15, 2018. Photo by Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News.

The staircase’s oval design suggests the Michelangelo-designed Piazza del Campidoglio and its ramped staircase near Rome’s Capitoline Hill.

Other interior features include the instruction room mural featuring Italian landscape scenes from the sea to the hills, the Baroque-style bridal room with its crystalline sconces and hand-painted chairs, the crystal chandelier and artisan-crafted furnishings of the celestial room, sculpted off-white carpets in the celestial and sealing rooms, an elliptical font with inlaid stones and Roman-style acanthus leaves in the baptistry, and original paintings throughout the temple.

Location and grounds

Located at Via de Settebagni 376 in northeast Rome near the village of La Cinquina Bufalotta, the temple sits on an elevated 15-acre parcel just off the A90 Grande Raccordo Anulare beltway—also known as “Il Raccordo” (“The Junction”)—that surrounds the city.

Initially, only a small portion of the property was available for temple construction; however, subsequent rezoning allowed the Church to expand to use all 15 acres for its grounds and accompanying facilities.

The 15-acre parcel previously was a farm that the Church purchased in 1997, with the property including a villa, a small olive orchard, and an outside pizza oven. For a period, full-time missionaries resided at the villa, and the property occasionally served as a gathering place for members and their activities.

Some of the farm’s olive trees were preserved and join other olive trees from northern Italy in being replanted in the grounds’ Italian-style piazza, or square.

A view of the Rome Italy Temple and the Italian-style piazza on the temple grounds.

Piazza, trees, and statues

“There’s tremendous symbolism in olives and in olive trees,” said Elder Bednar in the Newsroom report, noting the depth reached by the tree roots. “Whenever you cut the roots of an olive tree, they’ll sprout. They don’t die; they will continue to sprout. Some have suggested that perhaps that’s symbolic of the hope of the Resurrection.”

Also on the temple grounds are a multifunctional meetinghouse, a visitors’ center, and temple patron housing. Linking the various buildings is the piazza constructed from native-to-Italy travertine tiles, pavers, and blocks.

The visitors’ center includes replicas of Thorvaldsen’s Christus and 12 ancient Apostle statues found in the Church of Our Lady in Copenhagen, Denmark. (See related story .)

“When I saw the statues of the Savior, the Christus , and the Twelve Apostles, it was just a spiritually stunning moment for me,” said Elder Bednar.

The statues are in a rotunda facing the temple, backed by an overhead mural of an Italian landscape. Full-length windows offer a dramatic view of the statues in the rotunda setting and a similar view of the temple from inside the visitors’ center.

Italy’s Church, temple history

Rome is considered by Latter-day Saints and other Christian faiths as a historic location, a biblical city where ancient Apostles such as Peter and Paul preached.

In latter days, the restored gospel returned to Italy when a handful of missionaries—including Elder Lorenzo Snow, later the fifth President of the Church—arrived in 1850 and found success in northern Italy. Most early converts over the next half-decade eventually emigrated to the United States and the Salt Lake Valley. Meanwhile, challenges and persecutions resulted in a halting of Church activity in Italy until the 1960s, when missionary work returned and a first-of-the-era congregation was organized.

President Thomas S. Monson announced the temple during the October 2008 general conference and then presided over its groundbreaking on Octoer 23, 2010. On March 25, 2017, the gold-plated angel Moroni statue was placed atop the taller, eastern tower of the twin-spired building.

The angel Moroni statue is lowered by a crane into place atop the tallest, eastern spire of the Rome Italy Temple on Saturday, March 25, 2017. Photo by Scott Taylor, Deseret News.

Soon to become the Church’s 12th temple in Europe and 162nd worldwide, the Rome Italy Temple will serve the nearly 27,000 Latter-day Saints in Italy as well as those in neighboring countries. The Bern Switzerland Temple is currently the closest operating temple to Italy, which is home to two missions and more than 100 member congregations.

This week’s schedule

A morning news conference and subsequent media tours were the first public events scheduled to be held at the temple on Monday, January 14.

Special-guest tours are scheduled to run from Tuesday, January 15, through Tuesday, January 22, with invitations to leaders of government, business, legal, interfaith, and humanitarian organizations.

The general-public open house begins Monday, January 28, and runs through Saturday, February 16, excluding Sundays. Free tickets for the open house can be requested at templeopenhouse.ChurchofJesusChrist.org .

The temple will be dedicated over several sessions held March 10–12; it will open for temple sessions and ordinance work the following week on March 19.

Lighting in the Rome Italy Temple.

A sealing room in the Rome Italy Temple.

Window detail in the Rome Italy Temple.

The interior of the Rome Italy Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Bride’s room in the Rome Italy Temple.

Baptistry of the Rome Italy Temple.

Stained glass in the Rome Italy Temple depicts scenes from the Savior’s life.

Instruction room in the Rome Italy Temple.

Chandelier and grand staircase in the lobby of the Rome Italy Temple.

Interior details of the Rome Italy Temple.

Fountain and doors at the Rome Italy Temple.

The baptismal font and baptistry of the Rome Italy Temple.

Replicas of Thorvaldsen’s Christus statue and his 12 ancient Apostle statues—from originals found in Copenhagen, Denmark—are featured in the Rome Italy Temple Visitors’ Center.

The Rome Italy Temple Visitors’ Center.

One of the olive trees found on the piazza of the Rome Italy Temple grounds.

The Rome Italy Temple on Friday, November 16, 2018. Photo by Kristin Murphy, Deseret News.

The Rome Italy Temple at night on Friday, November 16, 2018. Photo by Kristin Murphy, Deseret News.

A model display of the interior of the Rome Temple is visible in the visitors’ center in Rome, Italy, on Friday, November 16, 2018. Photo by Kristin Murphy, Deseret News.

A display model shows the Rome Italy Temple, grounds, and affiliated buildings. Photo by Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News.

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