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The Vatican launched on Monday new Artificial Intelligence-enabled services for St Peter's Basilica, allowing virtual access to its Renaissance-era architectural treasures for all and enhanced tours for visitors. The new experiences were unveiled in time for the Catholic Church's Holy Year or Jubilee celebrations in 2025, which come around every qu...

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In 2025, the Catholic Church will celebrate the Jubilee, a Holy Year proclaimed by the Pope, a tradition dating back to 1300. This special year marks an important spiritual milestone for Catholics around the world, and an occasion for reflection and celebration. The Jubilee is officially starting on December 24, 2024, with the opening of the Holy D...

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Microsoft has unveiled Julia, a new Artificial Intelligence-based virtual assistant designed to help the 35 million visitors expected in Rome for the Vatican's Jubilee Year 2025. The virtual guide, which was developed in collaboration with OpenAI and the city of Rome, will be accessible via digital channels such as WhatsApp and all main messaging c...

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Jubilee 2025 is one of the biggest Catholic events on the global calendar next year. With Rome being a bucket-list destination for many Catholics, the Holy Year is set to bring even bigger crowds to both Italy’s capital and Vatican City. Celebrated every 25 years, the jubilee is a tradition in the Catholic Church that sees Catholics give time and d...

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All roads might lead to Rome, but when they reach here, they are likely to be dug up, shut off or under renovation as the city undergoes a monumental facelift ahead of the 2025 Roman Catholic Holy Year. The Vatican expects up to 32 million tourists will descend on the Italian capital for the Jubilee, putting Rome's antiquated infrastructure under e...

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The Jubilee 2025, known as the Holy Year, will open on December 24th and will last for the entire year 2025. The following Jubilee will be held in 2050, except for extraordinary Jubilees called by the Pope. The Jubilee is for the Catholic Church and also for the city an extraordinary event in Rome, it will not only be a moment of religious reflecti...

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Ahead of the Catholic Church’s Jubilee year in 2025, restoration plans have been unveiled for Gian Lorenzo Bernini’s soaring Baldacchino (Baldachin), the 17th-century canopy that towers over the main altar of St. Peter’s Basilica, ceremoniously covering the tomb of St. Peter beneath it. The €700,000 (about $762,000) restoration will be funded entir...

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Rome mayor Roberto Gualtieri has pledged that the slew of public construction projects underway in the Italian capital ahead of Jubilee Year 2025 will "change the face" of the city. During a meeting at the Vatican last week, Gualtieri told Pope Francis that there are currently 1,400 building sites open across Rome, with construction crews working r...

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Italy's Carabinieri military police on Tuesday unveiled Saetta, a remote-controlled robotic dog which initially will be assigned to the bomb squad in Rome. The four-legged robot can be operated to a maximum distance of 150 metres and will be used for high-risk reconnaissance activities and hostile operational situations. Saetta can traverse rough t...

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Rome has unveiled dozens of major infrastructural projects to be carried out ahead of the Vatican's Jubilee Year 2025 when millions of pilgrims are set to arrive in the Italian capital. The city's mayor Roberto Gualtieri, who is also Italy's extraordinary commissioner for the Jubilee, presented the first phase of the plans to Pope Francis during a...

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