Heydar Aliyev Foundation restores historic Vatican Catacomb

First Vice-President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Mehriban Aliyeva, arrived on an official visit to the Holy See - the Vatican.

1news.media reports that on October 16, within the framework of the visit, the First Vice-President and her family members attended the opening ceremony of the project for the restoration of the Catacombs of St. Commodus with the support of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation and got acquainted with the restoration work carried out.

President of the Pontifical Commission for Sacred Archaeology of the Vatican, Monsignor Pasquale Iaccobone, former President of the Pontifical Commission for Culture and Sacred Archaeology, Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi, and President of the VIII Municipality of Rome, Amedeo Cacquerieri, welcomed First Vice-President Mehriban Aliyeva.

President of the Pontifical Commission for Sacred Archaeology of the Vatican, Monsignor Pasquale Iaccobone, noted that First Vice-President Mehriban Aliyeva has been cooperating very closely and effectively with the commission she has headed for many years. Pasquale Iaccobone expressed his deep gratitude to First Vice-President Mehriban Aliyeva for her participation in the opening of the Catacombs of Commodus.

Stressing that before this project was implemented with the Azerbaijani side, the President of the Commission emphasized that the restoration of the catacombs of Saints Marcellino and Pietro, as well as Saint Sebastian, was achieved as a result of the efforts of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation.

"With the support of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, we have jointly carried out restoration work that is, on the one hand, complex, but on the other hand, very inspiring and energizing for us," he added.

Pasquale Iacobone recalled the memorable visit of the members of the Pontifical Commission for Sacred Archaeology to Azerbaijan in July 2024 within the framework of the project. He expressed his deep gratitude to the Heydar Aliyev Foundation for the high level of completion of this work.

Former President of the Pontifical Commission for Sacred Archaeology, Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi, emphasized that he is connected to our country with sincere and deep bonds of friendship, and noted that he has visited Azerbaijan three times, and noted that he was received by President Ilham Aliyev during these visits and that it was by his decision that he was awarded one of the highest awards of the Azerbaijani state - the Order of Friendship. Gianfranco Ravazi spoke about his sincere friendship and mutual respect with First Vice-President Mehriban Aliyeva and said, "These relations have been formed over many years and have made a great and deep impression on me personally. During the visits we organized, we witnessed the First Vice-President's special commitment to the field of archeology. Because he personally visited the restored sites during the visits. Of course, thanks to his support, as a result of the assistance provided by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, we are writing a new page in our cooperation today with the opening of the catacombs. I express my deep gratitude to the First Vice-President for the work done."

He noted that both sides have demonstrated harmony in this area.

First Vice-President of Azerbaijan, Mehriban Aliyeva, expressed a great sense of honor from her next visit to the Holy See. The President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation noted that this is her sixth visit to the Vatican in the last 14 years.

"I am very glad that we have established a very good cooperation over the years. Every time we come here, the number of our friends increases," the First Vice-President noted.

Emphasizing that Azerbaijan has been a place where representatives of different religions and cultures have lived together in peace, mutual respect, tolerance, and harmony for centuries, Mehriban Aliyeva said: "Today, these principles are both the basis of our state policy and our way of life. I am sure that in today's complex world, the expanding cooperation and friendly relations between our states are an example."

The First Vice-President expressed her deep gratitude to those who contributed to these projects both in the Vatican and in Azerbaijan and said, "As the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, we are interested and ready to continue our cooperation in the future. I believe that this activity will be continuous. Finally, I congratulate each of you on the occasion of the "Jubilee Year", which carries great spiritual values ​​for the Catholic world. Taking this opportunity, I invite you to visit Azerbaijan."

The President of the VIII Municipality of Rome, Amedeo Cacqueri, expressed his gratitude to the people working under the leadership of First Vice-President Mehriban Aliyeva for the work done here. The President of the Municipality, who said that he had been working on this project for several years, drew attention to their close cooperation with the Azerbaijani Embassy.

Then, the opening of the Catacombs of St. Commodus, restored by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, took place.

It was noted that during the visit of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation and representatives of religious communities in Azerbaijan to the Vatican on March 4, 2021, an agreement was signed between the Foundation and the Pontifical Commission for Sacred Archaeology on the restoration of the Catacombs of Commodus. It was noted that,

The site of the catacombs was discovered in the 18th century, and initial research began in 1900. The catacomb, where the first artifacts from the early Christian period are found, is also known as the burial place of the Christian martyrs Felicio and Adauctus, and was a place of pilgrimage for believers in the Middle Ages. The frescoes in the catacombs, depicting the first Christian martyr, San Stefano, Jesus presenting the keys to Paradise to the apostle Peter, and other subjects, are of exceptional religious and historical importance. The construction of residential buildings in this area in the 1950s hurt the statistics of the catacombs. The support provided by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation saved this part of the catacomb, which has great archaeological value, from the danger of collapse.

During the restoration process, modern methods and technologies were applied, including the use of environmentally friendly materials that are safe for the health of workers. Nanotechnology was used in the process of strengthening products and laser technology for processing painted surfaces. All materials were selected taking into account their high compatibility with the underground environment.

It should be noted that the Heydar Aliyev Foundation makes a significant contribution to the preservation of world cultural heritage by actively financing large-scale restoration work in the Vatican. These initiatives are highly appreciated by the Holy See as an example of effective cooperation and strengthening intercultural relations.