One year after the lockdown that brought nearly all activity in Italy to a halt, including and above all our cultural sites, the Parco archeologico del Colosseo together with the Fund for Places of Worship and the Olivetan Benedictine Community announce the reopening of the Basilica of Santa Francesca Romana on 9 March 2021, following a delicate restoration of its wooden ceiling.

The basilica’s reopening will be accompanied by a volume of studies that enriches the recent restoration project, “Santa Francesca Romana. Il restauro della Speranza”, with contributions from Alfonsina Russo, Cristina Collettini and Alessandro Lugari and published by Gangemi Editore. The publication gathers the experiences of those who have spent the past few months in direct contact with the extraordinary art historical patrimony of the basilica dedicated to the co-patron of Rome and protectress of automobile drivers, who died on 9 March 1440. We’d be remiss if we didn’t also mention that Francesca risked her own life to care for victims of the plague that held Rome in its grips at the time, to which even her own children Evangelista and Agnese succumbed. For this reason, Francesca is also considered a protectress against pestilence and famine.

On the occasion of this symbolic, dramatic feast day, the PArCo invites you to watch the video story of the basilica’s restoration on our social media channels, in the hopes of a rebirth and a fresh start for all.