Initiated by the late Pope Francis, the Vatican City is moving forward on the planned agrivoltaic project in Santa Maria di Galeria, now with the Italian government on board.   

On July 31, 2025, the Holy See, represented by Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, signed an agreement for the project’s construction on 430-hectare land, with the Italian Republic represented by Ambassador Francesco Di Nitto. The agreement now needs to be approved by the Italian Parliament since the project location has extraterritorial status in Italy. 

According to Euronews, the Vatican will be exempt from paying Italian taxes to import the solar panels, and won’t benefit from the financial incentives for solar as available in Italy. The project is estimated to cost under €100 million.  

The agrivoltaic project, of unidentified capacity, will supply the Vatican City with renewable energy, while ensuring dual-use of the land for agricultural purposes. It is aligned with the Vatican’s target to achieve zero emissions by 2050.  

Pope Francis had announced the project in June 2024 to be located on the site that hosts a radio station to broadcast Vatican Radio. The site was visited by his successor Pope Leo XIV in June this year, who is said to be on board with the vision (see Vatican City Endorses Solar PV Technology With New Plant).