A new multimedia project, Roma Cristiana, has been launched to bring the treasures of Rome’s Christian heritage to a global audience. Developed by professors, students, and staff of the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross, the initiative offers more than 90 short films organized into 12 thematic itineraries, covering 70 religious and cultural sites across the Eternal City.
The website romacristiana.info provides a dynamic platform where users can explore Rome’s monuments by historical era (such as “medieval Rome”), by neighborhood (like Trastevere), or by theme (“the places of the early Christians”).
The videos, available in English, Italian, and Spanish, combine accessible explanations with academic rigor, making the portal a valuable resource both for pilgrims and tourists, as well as for locals rediscovering their city.
A service to Rome and the Church
The project was presented on June 25 at Palazzo Valentini, with representatives of the city and the university in attendance. Dr. Mariano Angelucci, president of the Commission for Tourism, Fashion, and International Relations of Rome Capitale, welcomed the launch, calling it “a new resource for deepening the city’s millennial history.”
Fr. Fernando Puig, rector of the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross, emphasized the project’s deeper mission:
“For us, serving the city of Rome is part of the university’s identity. Our founder, St. Josemaría Escrivá, spoke of his profound love for Rome — its art, culture, and history, but above all, its role as the See of Peter. With this project we want to echo that passion and make it accessible to the world.”
Rome as a living classroom
Sr. Rebecca Nazzaro, director of the Opera Romana Pellegrinaggi, highlighted the pastoral impact of the initiative, particularly in a Jubilee year drawing millions of visitors:
“We need to help Romans rediscover the beauty of their city and, above all, its roots. Thanks to Christianity, Rome passed from being caput mundi to mater gentium. This heritage has been given to us, and we have the responsibility to share it.”
Professor Luis Cano, historian of the Church, explained that the inspiration came from the advice given in 1946 to a young Karol Wojtyła, later Pope John Paul II: learn Rome.
“That is the spirit of our project,” Cano said, “to recover the sense of wonder at what Rome teaches us. It is not only about the basilicas or the tombs of Peter and Paul, but also about the countless signs of charity that mark this city’s Christian history.”
An accessible tool for all
The videos are presented by students from around the world, reflecting the Church’s universal character. Professor Javier Domingo, archaeologist and coordinator of the project, underlined its dual purpose: “It is both scholarly and accessible. It is meant for everyone: tourists, pilgrims, and ordinary Romans who want to know the Church’s story in the very places where it unfolded.”
From the ancient Marian icons of the city to its grand basilicas, Roma Cristiana offers not just a guide, but a pedagogy of wonder — a way of seeing Rome as a living testimony of faith across centuries.
