Pope Leo visits wheat field: Agri-PV for the Vatican is being created here.

Before the gates of Rome, the Vatican is building the largest Agri-Photovoltaic system in the world. The solar installation is set to soon provide electricity to the entire Vatican City.

Pope Leo XIV visited the site for the future power supply of the Vatican City. According to the Vatican press office, he inspected the area near Santa Maria di Galeria on the northern outskirts of Rome. There, a modern Agri-Photovoltaic system combining agriculture and solar power generation is set to be built.

Pope Francis's predecessor had already ordered the construction of a large solar plant on Vatican territory in July 2024. In his decree "Fratello Sole" ("Brother Sun"), he emphasized the Vatican City's responsibility for climate protection – in line with his environmental encyclical Laudato si and the Vatican's membership in the UN Climate Convention.

According to katholisch.de, the planned Agri-PV site covers 424 hectares, significantly larger than the Vatican City itself. The site also houses the transmitting antennas and the shortwave center of Radio Vatican.

By visiting the grain field, Pope Leo demonstrates his commitment to continuing his predecessor's initiative and furthering the Vatican's reliance on renewable energy. The decree tasked the leaders of the Vatican City and the Vatican's asset management to implement the transition to solar energy – including for the transmitting facilities of Radio Vatican – and to closely cooperate with Italian authorities.

Agri-PV is currently advancing in Italy. Additionally, the country is providing additional funding for the expansion of photovoltaics. However, since 2024, it has been prohibited to build pure open-space PV systems that render the land unsuitable for agriculture.