Interview with Stefano Rossi and Ermanno Croci, operators of the Outbound Mail Department of the Governorate’s Postal and Philatelic Service
Just steps away from Bernini’s Colonnade in St. Peter’s square is a place where, every day, thousands of fragments of people’s lives—postcards, letters, parcels and registered mail—begin their journey to every corner of the globe. This is no ordinary post office: it is the Post Office of the smallest State in the world.
The Fisherman's Basket in Memory of Saint Peter
A team of professional gardeners combines its expertise each year to create a tribute to the Prince of the Apostles: the renowned Fisherman's Basket (Nassa del Pescatore). This metal structure reproduces an ancient woven fishing trap consisting of a funnel and a net that catches fish attracted by bait placed inside. It recalls the fish traps that fishermen on the Sea of Galilee would leave submerged overnight and retrieve the following morning.
A New Asteroid Named After Leo XIII
The naming of a new asteroid after Pope Leo XIII is intended to draw public attention to the Pope’s role in the re-establishment of the Vatican Observatory and to his broader interest in the sciences.
During 2026, renovation, modernization, and upgrading works will be completed at the barracks of the Corps of Gendarmerie of the Vatican City State and those of the Vatican Fire Brigade. New security systems will also be installed in the Vatican Museums, along with new air-conditioning systems for the Upper Galleries and the Vatican Pinacoteca.
Splendor conserved for centuries to come
Rediscovering Michelangelo’s fresco in all its expressive power is an extraordinary experience—one that stays with you for a lifetime. Paolo Violini, the Vatican’s Chief Restorer of the Paintings and Wooden Materials Restoration Laboratory, recounts his work in the Sistine Chapel on the occasion of the extraordinary maintenance of Michelangelo Buonarroti’s monumental fresco the “Last Judgment”.
Updating, innovating, and strengthening infrastructure and networks is an absolute priority for the Directorate of Telecommunications and Information Systems of the Governorate. This commitment is pursued through significant human and financial resources.
When the Recipient of Mail is the Holy Father
Responsibility, confidentiality, discretion. These are the essential qualities required when delivering correspondence to the Pope and to the various Dicasteries of the Roman Curia, as well as to the offices of the Governorate. They are the defining traits of those entrusted each day with delivering mail within Vatican City.
Completing the robotization process of the VATT (Vatican Advanced Technology Telescope) on Mount Graham in Arizona. Finishing the 3D scanning and documentation of the approximately 1,200 meteorites preserved in the laboratory and, in the observatory at Castel Gandolfo, introducing the first GPUs (Graphic Processing Units) to enhance computational capabilities and the theoretical program, also through a new series of theoretical seminars on physics. These are the priorities indicated for 2026 by its Director, Jesuit Fr. Richard Anthony D’Souza for the Vatican Observatory in this interview for the Governorate’s website www.vaticanstate.va.
First and foremost: service to Pope Leo XIV
The primary “vocation” of the Directorate of the Pontifical Villas for 2026 is to ensure a seamless and peaceful stay for Pope Leo during his breaks from the Vatican. This is emphasized by Andrea Tamburelli, Director of the Pontifical Villas in this interview with the Governorate’s website whereby he outlines the activities planned for 2026. www.vaticanstate.va
Between Mission and Innovation
The integration of cash management with digital payments, the automation of the Vatican Pharmacy’s warehouse, and the full development of credit and remote sales operations to ensure greater accuracy, transparency, and control. These are the projects that the Vatican Pharmacy will implement over the course of 2026. They are discussed in this interview with www.vaticanstate.va by Br. Thomas Binish Mulackal of the Order of the Brothers Hospitallers of St. John of God (Fatebenefratelli), Director of the Vatican Pharmacy.
