Monumento a Giovanni Paolo II, Roma, Bronze statue on Piazza dei Cinquecento, Rome, Italy

The Monumento a Giovanni Paolo II is a bronze statue on Piazza dei Cinquecento, directly in front of Termini Station in Rome. The figure stands about 16 feet (5 meters) tall and shows the Pope wearing wide religious garments that form a large protective cloak around him.

The sculpture by Oliviero Rainaldi, titled "Conversations. Homage to John Paul II", was inaugurated on 18 May 2011 in Piazza dei Cinquecento, donated to the city by the Fondazione Silvana Paolini Angelucci Onlus. Criticism of its resemblance to the Pope, voiced in L'Osservatore Romano, led to completion works announced on 9 January 2012: the head position and eyes were reworked, the cloak adjusted and a new concrete base with lighting added. It was inaugurated again on 18 November 2012 with mayor Gianni Alemanno present.

The work is titled "Conversations. Homage to John Paul II". The open cloak (piviale) and the zucchetto, a cap worn by fishermen in ancient Israel, were explained by Rainaldi as symbols of protection and of Peter as a fisher of souls. The figure has no physical body, only a wind-filled form.

The plaza sits right in front of Termini Station, making it one of the easiest spots in Rome to reach on foot or by public transport. Early morning is a good time to visit if you want space to walk around the statue and see it from different angles.

The title is "Conversations. Homage to John Paul II". The open cloak and zucchetto carry the artist's meaning: protection, and Peter as a fisher of souls. The work was inspired by a photograph of 1993 in which the pope wrapped a child in his cloak.