On October 16, First Vice-President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Mehriban Aliyeva, accompanied by Cardinal James Harvey, the Archpriest of the Papal Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls, visited the Basilica in the Vatican City to review the progress of restoration and construction work carried out with the support of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation.

Priest Don Lodovico Turrisi and architect Marco Ciriachi provided First Vice-President Mehriban Aliyeva with detailed information about the Basilica and the restoration process there.

The Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls is the second largest church in Vatican City after St. Peter’s Basilica and was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1980. Built over the burial site of Saint Paul the Apostle, the Basilica is one of the four major papal basilicas in Rome and is regarded as one of the most sacred and historically significant monuments of the Roman Catholic Church. Inside the Basilica, mosaic portraits of all popes from St. Peter to the present day are displayed. Located away from the bustling environment of the Vatican, the Basilica stands out for its calm and spiritual atmosphere.

On September 11, 2024, within the framework of the “Jubilee Year,” celebrated by the Holy See every 25 years, a document was signed between the Governorate of Vatican City State and the Heydar Aliyev Foundation to ensure the preservation and restoration of the marble coverings and decorative elements of Saint Paul’s Basilica. The document was signed by former President of the Governorate Cardinal Fernando Vérgez Alzaga and Assistant to the President of Azerbaijan, Executive Director of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation Anar Alakbarov.