After the initial signing in July 2025, the agreement between the Holy See and Italy to build an agrivoltaic plant in the Vatican's Santa Maria di Galeria area enters into force. The Vatican City, the heart of the Catholic Church and a symbol of religious heritage, is becoming a beacon of modern sustainable practices with its adoption of solar energy. At Vatican Blog, we are excited to explore how this ancient city-state is embracing modern technology to reduce its carbon. With the Apostolic Letter “Fratello sole,” issued motu proprio, Pope Francis provides for the construction of an agrivoltaic plant in the extraterritorial zone of Santa Maria in Galeria, where Vatican Radio maintains antennas for digital broadcasting. By Christopher Wells Highlighting the need “to. The Vatican's renewable energy achievement demonstrates how even the world's smallest nations can join countries running on renewable energy. The heart of this change is located at Santa Maria di Galeria, a former Vatican Radio site that has been transformed into a solar. Vatican City is on track to become the 8 th country in the world to generate 100% of its electricity from renewable energy, following Pope Francis' announcement relating to building a large solar plant. In a letter to the church, the Pope said the project will be developed on Vatican-owned property. The late Pope Francis' goal of powering the Vatican by 100% solar energy is happening now as Vatican City becomes the first fully powered solar state. Perhaps even more intriguing is the way.
