THE VATICAN CITY RAILWAY STATION

VATICAN CITY, JAN 22, 2002 (VIS) - The Vatican City Railway Station, whence John Paul II will travel to Assisi on January 24 to participate in the World Day of Prayer for Peace, lies within the walls of Vatican City, a short distance from the Governorate, in a large square surrounded by gardens and dominated by a view of the dome of St. Peter's. Pope Pius XI, in whose pontificate the station was built, on a visit to the construction site exclaimed: "This is the most beautiful station in the world!"

Building work began following the signing of the Lateran Pacts on February 11, 1929, between the Holy See and the then Kingdom of Italy. According to this agreement, the Italian State was to build a railway station within Vatican City. Work began on April 3 of that same year and the first locomotive entered the Vatican (to check the working of the points) in March 1932. However, it was only in 1934 that the two parts of the railway built in the two separate States were officially consigned. Apart from the station building itself, the works also included a link to the Italian rail network on the Rome-Viterbo line.

The complex was built by Pope Pius XI's favored architect, Giuseppe Momo. Inaugurated in 1933, the station measures 61 meters by 21.5 meters; the height of the central block is 16.85 meters and of the wings, 5.95 meters. The main building includes a large hall paved in colored marble and with a coffered ceiling. The most noteworthy decorative feature are the eight marble columns from the Italian region of Versilia. The exterior is of travertine and is decorated with sculptures by Eduardo Rubino (the pontifical emblem supported by figures representing Thought and Action), and two large bas-reliefs: the boat of St. Peter (symbolizing the most ancient means of spreading the Gospel) and the prophet Elias' chariot of fire (representing the most modern means, air transport).

However, Pius XI never actually used the railway station which had originally been conceived as a place where the pontiff could meet personalities visiting the Holy See, and as an arrival point (especially during Jubilees) for multitudes of pilgrims. No "papal train" was ever constructed, as had originally been planned, and neither does the Vatican now have, nor has it ever had, its own railway workers or rolling stock.

The first pope to use the station was John XXIII on October 4, 1962, on his pilgrimage from Rome to Loreto and Assisi, one week prior to the start of Vatican Council II.

From the pontificate of Pius XI up to our own time, the railway station has been used, above all, for the transport of goods. Even this has been much reduced of late due to the speed and economic advantages of road transport. Only on a few occasions has the station been used for passengers.

On April 11, 1959, at the express wish of John XXIII, a train departed from the Vatican station carrying the remains of Pius X to Venice. On its return, his coffin arrived at Rome's central rail station, Termini, with that of St. John Bosco and together they were taken to St. Peter's Basilica.

On other occasions, special trains have used the station (pilgrimages of the sick, tourists visiting the Vatican museums, a steam train taking young people around Italy).

The first occasion that John Paul II used the station was when he travelled on the Italian Railways' train "Harlequin" to Termini to mark the 21st Day of the Railway Worker on November 8, 1979. The journey to Assisi will be the first time he uses the Vatican railway line for a journey outside Rome.

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