Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About the Jubilee But Were Afraid to Ask

The Holy Father is ill, war still looms, uncertainty reigns, why are we talking about Jubilees? Pope Francis titled the Jubilee Year of 2025 as the Year of Hope, a perfect guide to understanding not only this year but the 27 other Holy Years that have preceded it. This talk will look at the origin of the Jubilee, its impact on Rome and on the Catholic faith as well as its importance for the history of art. Liz Lev will share some amazing stories, introduce some remarkable characters and show some beautiful art while discussing Everything You Ever Wanted to KNow About the Jubilee But Were Afraid to Ask, this Monday, March 3, at 2:00pmET. The talk will last 40 minutes with plenty of time for your questions afterwards.

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• By Liz Lev

"28 White Marble Steps - St John Lateran & The Holy Stairs"

Monday December 6th at 2pm ET

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• By Livia Galante

"A Day Out in Tivoli - The Stylish Suburb of Rome"

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• By Richard Bowen

"A Treasure of History and Faith under St. Peters Basilica: the Vatican Necropolis and the Tomb of Peter"

Live Lecture February 28th

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• By Livia Galante

"Advent in Art - The Time of Expectant Waiting"

Live Lecture December 13th at 2pm ET

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• By Liz Lev

"Ageless Females in the Eternal City: Women in the Old Testament Part II"

Live Lecture March 17th at 3pm ET

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• By Antje Wolf

"Ageless Females in the Eternal City: Women in the Old Testament"

Live Lecture February 10 at 3pm ET

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• By Antje Wolf

"All About the Apocalypse - Michelangelo's Last Judgment in the Sistine Chapel"

Past Web Lecture on November 4th

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• By Liz Lev

"Amore & Psyche"

Live Lecture September 15th at 3pm ET

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• By Antje Wolf

"Aqua Felix: Rome's Happy Water"

Past Web Lecture December 9th

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• By Ludovica Schmidt

"Aventine Hill"

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• By Livia Galante

"Bernini and Baroque CGI"

Past Live Lecture July 15th 2020

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• By Francesca Barberini

"Bernini and Borromini: The Duel that Shaped the Baroque"

Live Lecture November 15th at 2pm ET

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• By Francesca Barberini

"Between Heaven and Hell... The Purgatory Museum"

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• By Liz Lev

"Beyond Bernini: An Introduction to the World of Baroque Sculpture"

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• By Liz Lev

"Black Art Matters. Edmonia Lewis, the first African/Native American Female Sculptor"

Past Live Lecture September 2nd 2020

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• By Liz Lev

"Bread and Circuses: Bringing the Colosseum to life "

Past Live Lecture July 22nd 2020

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• By Richard Bowen

"Building an Empire: the Wonders of Roman Technology"

Live Lecture June 2nd

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• By Livia Galante

"Caravaggio’s Fashion & Fabrics"

Past Live Lecture July 29th 2020

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• By Sara Magister

"Christian Mosaics - From Late Antiquity to the Middle Ages

Live Lecture February 7th at 2pm ET

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• By Livia Galante

"Clash of the Titans"

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• By Liz Lev

"Cosmetics, Conspiracies and Commerce: A Day in the Thermal Baths of Ancient Rome"

Web lecture on September 16th

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• By Livia Galante

"Diamonds and Ivories and Relics...Oh My! The Jewels of St Peter's Treasury Museum"

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• By Liz Lev

"Domus Aurea: The Golden House of Rome"

Web Lecture October 7th

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• By Livia Galante

"Flower Power: Fruit, Flora and Flies as Artistic Symbols"

Past Web Lecture on September 30th 2020

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• By Sara Magister

"From Octavius to Augustus"

Live Lecture November 1st 2pm ET

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• By Richard Bowen

"From Torques to Tiaras part II: The jewel “mania” in Rome during the Victorian age."

Past Live Lecture January 27th 2021

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• By Francesca Barberini

"From the Walls of Troy to Michelangelo!"

Discover the Mythological Story of the Laocoon.

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• By Liz Lev

"GianLorenzo Bernini – The Man who Baroque the Mold!"

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• By Liz Lev

"Hadrian: The Legacy of His Monuments in Rome"

Live Lecture March 24th at 3pm ET (9pm ET)

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• By Richard Bowen

"Hearts, Halos & Holy Places: Six Churches Celebrating Six Extraordinary Women"

Hearts, Halos & Holy Places: Six Churches Celebrating Six Extraordinary Women is a unique pilgrimage through Rome that honors six female saints who have shaped the spiritual and cultural fabric of Europe. Each church on this itinerary is selected for its connection—through relics, historical ties, or artistic representations—to these exceptional women, all recognized as Doctors of the Church or Patronesses of Europe. From Saint Bridget’s residence in Campo de’ Fiori to the resting place of Saint Catherine of Siena at Santa Maria Sopra Minerva, and Bernini’s portrayal of Saint Teresa of Avila in Santa Maria della Vittoria, this journey illuminates how the lives of holy women continue to inspire faith, intellect, and artistic legacy. Whether through martyrdom, mysticism, philosophy, or music, these saints offer pilgrims a deeper encounter with the feminine voice of sanctity echoing through sacred spaces in the Eternal City.

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• By Ludovica Schmidt

"Heaven’s Influencers: Carlo Acutis & Pier Giorgio Frassati – Saints for the Jubilee Generation"

Dsicover the legacies of two extraordinary modern saints: Carlo Acutis, the tech-savvy teenager who brought the Eucharist to the digital world, and Pier Giorgio Frassati, the adventurous, socially engaged young man who brought Christ to the streets of 20th-century Turin. Presented in the spirit of the Jubilee Year 2025, this lecture will uncover how these young men—separated by nearly a century but united in faith, joy, and love for the poor—speak directly to the hearts of today’s youth. With insights into their spiritual practices, heroic virtues, and contagious enthusiasm for holiness, we will reflect on what it means to be a saint in our time. Whether you're a teacher, student, catechist, or simply seeking inspiration, this talk offers a fresh and powerful vision of sanctity grounded in action, authenticity, and joy. Come discover why Carlo and Pier Giorgio are being lifted up as models for a new generation of pilgrims walking through the Holy Doors of 2025.

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• By Francesca Barberini

"Holy Bits and Heavenly Hits: The Curious World of Roman Relics."

Much as the informed tourist seeks to discover the best gelateria, pizza or selfie spot in Rome, so religious pilgrims sought out relics. The odd bits of clothing, hair or bone belonging to one of the celebrities of the Heavenly chorus, was as exciting as an autograph from a movie or sports star today. Today they are curiosities to some, repugnant to others, but there are still many faithful who find meaning inside those ubiquitous reliquaries in Rome. This lecture will explore the raucous world of relics - what they are, what are their types, and what to do with them. We'll look at robberies, realities, and reverence with a special focus on the key relics for Rome's Jubilee years. We'll talk about provenance and devotions, but also their importance for the history of art, and most pertinently, how to talk to either believers or doubters about the "thorny" question of Roman relics.

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• By Liz Lev

"Holy Cross of Jerusalem: The Fifth of the Seven Station Churches of Rome"

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• By Ludovica Schmidt

"Imperial Forums and Trajan Markets"

Live Lecture October 11th at 2pm ET

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• By Livia Galante

"In the Hearth of Rome: the Colosseum, Paltine Hill and Roman Forum revealed"

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• By Livia Galante

"Julius Caesar: Hero or Tyrant?"

Live Lecture May 19th at 3pm ET

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• By Richard Bowen

"Life in the Fast Lane: Speed and Danger at Circus Maximus"

Passed Web Lecture September 23/09/2020

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• By Richard Bowen

"Lions, Tigers and... Ostriches?!"

Meet the Beasts of the Colosseum

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• By Richard Bowen

"Livia Drusilla and the Remarkable Power of Elite Women in Imperial Rome"

Live Lecture April 28 at 3pm ET

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• By Livia Galante

"Love-n-Rome"

Live Lecture for Kids May 31st

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• By Liz Lev

"Made in Italy: Art & Fashion in Renaissance Northern Italy"

Live Lecture March 10 at 3pm ET

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• By Sara Magister

"Maria Mancini: from 'Mazarinette' to Rebellious Princess"

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• By Alexandra Massini

"Mary Magdalene in Art"

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• By Liz Lev

"Michelangelo's Women"

Live Lecture April 7 at 3pm ET

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• By Liz Lev

"Ostia Reimagined: Ancient Echoes, New Voices—Rediscovering Rome’s Port City Through a New Lens"

In 1934, the Ostiense Museum was inaugurated and later reorganized in 1962. After over sixty years and a long closure, the Museum reopened on July 10, 2024, completely reimagined—both in layout and in its approach to accessibility and visitor engagement. The new design includes interactive multimedia features like videos and touchscreens, offering a deeper connection to the artifacts from the Ostia Antica Archaeological Park. The exhibition spans twelve rooms in seven thematic sections: from the city's origins and civic life to religion, domestic spaces, and funerary contexts, including highlights such as the Via della Foce sanctuary and the “philosophers’ space.” Over one hundred pieces underwent specialized restoration, with missing parts left unreconstructed but suggested via metal frameworks to aid interpretation. This evening’s lecture will present the new exhibition, key artifacts, their original contexts, and exciting recent discoveries.

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• By Livia Galante

"Palatine hill, where it all began, from Romulus to Mussolini"

Past Live Lecture August 5th 2020

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• By Livia Galante

"Palazzo Altemps"

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• By Livia Galante

"Palazzo Massimo: The National Museum of Rome"

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• By Livia Galante

"Palazzo Spada"

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• By Liz Lev

"Palazzo Venezia and the Vittoriano"

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• By Livia Galante

"Picturing Heaven: Images of Ecstasy in Baroque Art"

Past Live Lecture September 1st 2021

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• By Liz Lev

"Pope on the run: republics, redshirts, Risorgimento & Rome....or death!"

Past Live Lecture November 11th

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• By Richard Bowen

"Raphael in Rome"

Free Live Lecture on June 26th 2023

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• By Livia Galante