The Gregorian University launches a new Diploma on the history and art of the Jubilee Years

To mark the next ‘ordinary’ Jubilee Year, during the 2023-2024 academic session, the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome will run a new Diploma course on the history and art of the Jubilee years entitled ‘Roma città santa del Giubileo’ – Rome the holy city of Jubilees.

This will be an annual course, supported by the Dicastery for Evangelization and the authorities of the Vatican Basilica (Fabbrica di San Pietro) and will be aimed at those who want to learn more about the historic, artistic and religious aspects of the Jubilee years. The course will be particularly useful to those who wish to offer their services as volunteers and who will be involved in welcoming and assisting pilgrims arriving in Rome for the 2025 Holy Year.

The course will be held in the Faculty of History and Cultural Heritage of the Church at the Gregorian University and will focus on the city of Rome as a focus for pilgrimage, from the early visits to the tombs of St Peter and the first Christian martyrs right up to the institution of the first Jubilee Year in 1300. 

The Diploma will be recognized by the relevant authorities for the purposes of granting permission to serve as a guide in St Peter’s Basilica. Besides lessons based in the university, there will be external teaching visits to various monuments and sites of Christian Rome. The course will run over two semesters and will end with a section entitled ‘Sacra loca circuire’ which will offer training on how to organize and carry out a guided tour in a place of worship linking themes of faith, liturgy and devotion to artistic and architectural aspects of the site.

Professor Ottavio Bucarelli, who is in charge of the Diploma, said: “Students, after an introduction to the spiritual and theological foundations of the concept of Jubilee, will study the history of Holy Years, with special attention being paid to the importance of the city of Rome – the ‘Urbe’ – as a pilgrimage focus right from the very beginnings of Christianity.”

Father Mark Lewis, the Rector of the institution, said: “The resources of the Faculty of History and Cultural Heritage of the Church give us unique instruments to contribute to this important moment in the life of the Church.”

“The Church of Rome is the repository.of a unique historic and artistic treasury which will always draw people here to reflect in an ever deeper way on their faith as it is experienced through beauty.”

To find out more about the admission requirements for the Diploma, the course content, and the timetable of classes see here: https://www.unigre.it/it/storia/beni-culturali-della-chiesa/offerta-formativa/diploma-in-storia-e-arte-dei-giubilei/