Vatican City: Pope Leo XIV is set to personally greet the cyclists of the Giro d’Italia as they ride through Vatican City on Sunday, June 1, at 3:30 PM. The momentous event, framed as a tribute to the legacy of Pope Francis, honors his approval of the initiative originally proposed by Cardinal José Tolentino de Mendonça, Prefect of the Dicastery for Culture and Education. The plan was realized in collaboration with the Governorate of Vatican City State and Athletica Vaticana.
This symbolic passage through the Vatican marks a special prelude to the upcoming Jubilee of Sport, scheduled for June 14–15. According to the Dicastery, the idea for this historic crossing took root on October 28, 2021, during the official recognition of Athletica Vaticana as a member of the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI). The initiative was formally introduced to the public on April 29 atop the Capitoline Hill by Bishop Paul Tighe, Secretary of the Dicastery.
The final, ceremonial leg of the 108th Giro d’Italia will begin at the Baths of Caracalla. In a non-competitive segment, cyclists will enter Vatican City via Via Paolo VI through the Petriano Gate. The 3-kilometer route through the Vatican grounds offers more than just physical distance—it weaves through a spiritual and cultural journey rarely accessible to the public.
The riders will traverse past St. Peter’s Basilica and its sacristy, journey upward toward the Vatican Gardens, and glide past the Church of Saint Stephen of the Abyssinians, the Vatican Railway Station, and the Governor’s Palace. Their route continues alongside the Mater Ecclesiae Monastery, through the serene Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes, and past the imposing Saint John’s Tower and Vatican Heliport.
As the cyclists wind along the famed “Marian Path,” they will encounter numerous Marian images representing the Virgin Mary as Patroness of different nations, beginning with the mosaic of Our Lady of Good Counsel—a cherished symbol in Augustinian tradition. From there, the route takes them past the Quadrangular Garden and through the Vatican Museums along an avenue dedicated to sport, paying homage to athletic contests once encouraged by Pope Pius X in the early 20th century.
Passing beneath the towering walls of the Sistine Chapel and near the apse of St. Peter’s Basilica, the cyclists will make their way to Santa Marta Square. Their Vatican journey concludes as they exit through the Perugino Gate onto Vicolo del Perugino—re-entering Italian territory where the Giro’s final official stage will begin.
This unique intersection of sport, spirituality, and international unity is more than a cycling event—it is a living testament to the power of shared human experience and the enduring message of peace championed by the Church.