Governing a complex organization like the Vatican City State, oriented to the common good and the integral development of the human person, requires multiple skills and collaboration between individuals and departments. This was emphasized by Sister Raffaella Petrini, President of the Governorate of the Vatican City State, on Saturday, October 25, during the meeting on "Women’s Leadership and Catholic Universities," held in Rome on Saturday, October 25, promoted by the Executive Program of the International Federation of Catholic Universities (IFCU).
Pope Leo received the members of the Board of the Vatican Observatory Foundation (VOF) in audience on Monday morning, May 11, in the Consistory Hall of the Apostolic Palace. Among those present were Cardinal Donald William Wuerl, Sr. Raffaella Petrini, President of the Governorate of Vatican City State, Br. Guy Consolmagno, S.J., President of the Vatican Observatory Foundation, Fr. Richard Anthony D’Souza, and Fr. Gabriele Gionti, respectively Director and Deputy Director of the Vatican Observatory.
A Memorandum of Understanding for cooperation on the procurement cycle procedures has been signed between the Governorate of Vatican City and Consip S.p.A.
The agreement was signed on Wednesday morning, March 18, in the Office of the Presidency at the Governorate by Sr. Raffaella Petrini, President of the Governorate, and Marco Reggiani, CEO and General Manager of Consip.
Vatican City, 15 June 2026
Environmental sustainability, the responsible use of resources, and the protection of our common home. These are the principles behind the Memorandum of Understanding signed on Wednesday, 10 June, between the Governorate of Vatican City State, the Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See (APSA), the Fratello Sole Foundation, and ACEA.
The first entirely electric popemobile has been delivered to Pope Francis by Mercedes-Benz. Inspired by the principles outlined in the Encyclical, Laudato Si’, it will be used throughout the Jubilee.
The vehicle was delivered during a ceremony at Largo Giovanni Paolo II in the Vatican on Wednesday afternoon, 4 December.
The Vatican City State, implementing the principles of the Encyclical Laudato Si’ and the Apostolic Exhortation Laudate Deum, continues to develop projects and solutions that concretely contribute to reducing environmental impact. Mobility is a central element of this commitment and, for this reason, when renewing its commercial vehicle fleet, the State has chosen the 100% electric solutions offered by Mercedes-Benz Vans. Three eVito Tourer models and two EQV vehicles are thus joining the Vatican motor vehicle fleet, renewing the relationship of trust that has linked the Vatican and the Stuttgart-based company for almost one hundred years.
Extraordinary maintenance has commenced on Michelangelo’s monumental fresco The Last Judgment painted on the altar wall of the Sistine Chapel, following the completion of the scaffolding. The intervention has been made possible thanks to the generous contribution of the Florida Chapter of the Patrons of the Arts in the Vatican Museums.
As part of the WSIS+20 High-Level Event 2025, organized by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and currently taking place at the Palaexpo in Geneva, a closed-door Ministerial Roundtable was held for Ministers and key Delegation Leaders from the participating countries.
The mobile Post Office in Saint Peter’s Square has officially “retired”. It made its last journey, heading to the junkyard, on Thursday morning, 5 December.
On the occasion of the Jubilee of the Holy See, the Directorate of Museums and Cultural Heritage of the Governorate offers a visit to the Vatican Museums to the employees of the Holy See, the Governorate and their families.
At dawn this morning, Thursday, November 27, the 25-meter Norway spruce from the Val d’Ultimo, donated by the municipalities of Lagundo and Ultimo, arrived in St. Peter’s Square aboard an oversized transport, organized by the company Doneda.
The Governorate of the Vatican City State and the Hera Group have launched a new phase of their collaboration by signing an agreement that entrusts Herambiente S.p.A. – a Hera Group company specializing in waste treatment and recovery – with the overall management of environmental services within Vatican territory and in the areas specified in Articles 15 and 16 of the Lateran Treaty.
As announced by the Holy See Press Office Bulletin, on Wednesday, October 15, Pope Leo XIV appointed as Members of the Pontifical Commission for the Vatican City State Cardinal Blase Joseph Cupich, Archbishop of Chicago (United States of America), and Cardinal Baldassare Reina, Vicar General of His Holiness for the Diocese of Rome (Italy).
The latest bulletin of the IAU (International Astronomical Union) Working Group for Small Body Nomenclature contains some exciting news for scientists at the Vatican Observatory. Several asteroids co-discovered by Vatican astronomer Fr. Richard P. Boyle, SJ, together with his longtime collaborator K. Černis (of Vilnius, Lithuania), using the Vatican Observatory’s VATT telescope on Mount Graham, have received official names.
The second bulletin of this year from the Working Group for Small Body Nomenclature of the IAU (International Astronomical Union) announced that additional asteroids have been named after Jesuit scientists of the Vatican Observatory. Several asteroids, co-discovered by Vatican astronomer Fr. Richard P. Boyle, SJ, together with his long-time collaborator K. Černis (of Vilnius, Lithuania), using the Vatican Observatory’s VATT telescope on Mount Graham, have received official designations.
On 1 September, Paolo Maurizio Soave, was appointed as Deputy Director of the Vatican’s department of Health and Hygiene for a five-year term. He takes the position left vacant by Dr. Luigi Carbone, who, as of 1 August, succeeded Professor Andrea Arcangeli as Director, following the latter’s retirement upon reaching the age limit.
The collection of minute mosaics or micromosaics of the Vatican Museums is among the most important in the world. A sign of artistic excellence in creating subjects and decorations of rare beauty and value from millimetric enamel tiles.
The Governorate of Vatican City State has recently introduced a new fleet of electric vehicles, continuing its path toward eco-friendly mobility within Vatican territory and the Pontifical Villas of Castel Gandolfo. The initiative stems from a collaboration with Exelentia, a company specializing in zero-emission transport solutions.
The Governorate of the Vatican City State, in its effort to offer comprehensive and widespread communication, has opened its official Instagram account for the Pontifical Villas at Castel Gandolfo: villepontificie.
The account provides useful news to visitors and will include basic and historic information about this centuries old historic landmark of the papacy.
The creation of the account has the objective of promoting, to a wider audience, the activities carried out by the Directorate of the Pontifical Villas, informing the public with current news and initiatives of public interest.
This channel will make it possible to reach people and organizations that obtain information and communicate primarily through the use of social media networks.
The Postal and Philatelic Service of the Directorate of Telecommunications and Information Systems of the Governorate of the Vatican City State has produced a special postmark to commemorate the first anniversary of the death of Pope Francis (2013–2025), which falls on April 21, 2026.
Page 11 of 24