Monumento a Giovanni Paolo II, Roma, Bronze monument near Termini Station, 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 monument was put up in 2011 but quickly drew criticism for its appearance and was compared unfavorably to other public works. In 2012 it was taken down, reworked, and reinstalled in a revised form.
The statue shows Pope John Paul II with arms spread wide, a gesture drawn from a 1993 photograph in which he sheltered a child beneath his robes. Visitors often stop in front of it to pray or leave flowers at the base.
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 artist Oliviero Rainaldi built the figure without a physical body beneath the garments, using pneumatic forms that respond to the wind instead. This means the statue changes its shape slightly depending on the weather, making it one of the few moving bronze monuments in Rome.
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