Sant'Ivo alla Sapienza in Rome to Reopen in December 2025

The Church of Sant'Ivo alla Sapienza in Rome, a Baroque masterpiece by Francesco Borromini, will reopen to the public in December 2025 after restoration works that began in 2016. The church, built between 1642 and 1660, was commissioned by Pope Urban VIII Barberini and completed by Borromini, who was appointed architect of the Sapienza in 1632. Since 1936, the monumental complex on Corso Rinascimento near Piazza Navona has housed the State Archives, which hold administrative and judicial documents of the Papal State from the 15th century to 1870. The church had been closed for security and conservation reasons. The reopening is made possible by an agreement between the State Archives and the Diocese of Rome. Antonio Tarasco, Director General of Archives, stated that the reopening represents the recovery of an extraordinary Baroque architectural work and a sign of collaboration returning beauty to the community. Riccardo Gandolfi, Director of the Rome State Archives, emphasized that the agreement will return a monument of inestimable value to public use. In September 2024, the Palazzo della Sapienza and the church were exceptionally opened for one day, allowing guided visits during restoration.