Via della Conciliazione

We’re now walking down the famous Via della Conciliazione, the Conciliation Street. This wide, straight road connects the Castel Sant’Angelo to St Peter’s Square. Fun fact: it is as famous as it is controversial. You see, it was built as part of a major urban planning project by Mussolini to transform Rome into a modern European capital. But to do this, he had to tear down many buildings in the Borgo district. The name of the street commemorates the drafting of the Lateran Pacts in 1929, which finally settled the so-called Roman question, the dispute between church and state over who should rule Rome, the new capital of the Kingdom of Italy. In the end, the Pope agreed to rule over Vatican City alone, and the Italian state recognized the sovereign authority of the Holy See and took the Vatican under its protection. And thus was created the world’s smallest state. The street also serves as an extension of St Peter’s Square, so that more people can see the Pope give his blessing.