Monumento a Giovanni Paolo II, Roma

The Monumento a Giovanni Paolo II stands on Piazza dei Cinquecento next to Termini Station, depicting the Pope with extended arms and flowing religious garments that form a protective cloak. The bronze figure rises to about 5 meters tall and commands the central plaza with its distinctive form.

The monument was first installed in 2011 but quickly faced criticism for its appearance and unflattering comparisons. It underwent reconstruction in 2012 to reshape and improve its overall design.

The statue shows Pope John Paul II as a spiritual figure with arms spread wide in a protective gesture, drawing from a 1993 photograph in which he sheltered a child beneath his robes.

The monument sits on a busy central plaza that is easy to reach by public transport, right next to a major train station. Visitors should know that the plaza gets very crowded during peak times, making it hard to find a good viewing angle.

What makes this figure remarkable is its unconventional construction: the artist Oliviero Rainaldi created it without a physical body beneath the garments, instead using pneumatic forms supported by wind. This innovative technique makes the monument a moving sculpture that changes appearance depending on weather conditions.