The voice of 2000 Jubilee

In the light of the Great Jubilee of 2000, the Vatican decided to celebrate the solemnity of the millennial event promoting a grand and ambitious plan. The goal of it was to have fifty new churches built in Rome by the end of 1999.

The plan looked at the collaboration between the Church of Rome and various local administrations in the hope of taking advantage of concurrent social interests. In fact, not only were the new shrines thought to be sited in the vast, drab and neglect quarters of the Italian capital but they were envisioned as the pivotal point around which spur a new era of urban requalification.

Unfortunately, the plan was only honoured with the erection of a sparse bunch of churches, due to lack of State and local funds.

I have photographed these Christian temples paying special attention to their architecture. My goal was to find evidence of how modern-style approaches have transformed, adapted and translated the ancient concept of “God’s house” through time. In other words, I have been looking for elements which can help devotees fulfil their search for divinity in an era of diffuse, imperturbable secularism.