meier1CHIESA DI DIO PADRE MISERICORDIOSOTre Vele di Richard Meier (situata a Tor Tre Teste)

The Jubilee Church (Church of God Our Merciful Father)

The Jubilee Church, formally named “God our Merciful Father”, is situated in the only square in the world dedicated to the Third Millennium. It is one of the 50 churches built throughout the suburbs of Rome to celebrate the Jubilee of the year 2000. In 1995 there was a design competition among six projects which was won in 1996 by Richard Meier, a world-famous American architect who designed the church and coordinated the works for its realisation. Its construction began in March 1998 in Tor Tre Teste, a suburb six miles far from the city centre. The church was consecrated and inaugurated on 26th October 2003 by Cardinal Camillo Ruini. The church is part of a complex which also includes a community centre, that is a gathering place for social, educational and recreational activities.

meier4Richar Meier

Richard Meier was born in Newark, New Jersey, on 12th October 1934. He graduated from Cornell University in 1957 at Cornell University. During a trip to Europe in 1959 he joined the office of the Swiss- French architect Le Corbusier. In 1963 he established his own practice in New York. There he became the leader of “The New York Five", a group of architects that included Peter Eisenman, Michael Graves, Charles Gwathmey and John Hejduk. The group was famous for purist white neo-Corbusian architecture. Meier has built a lot of buildings all over the world, and some of the most important are the Douglas House at Harbor Springs and the Museum Of Contemporary Art in Barcelona. During his career he has received many international awards. Meier also designed the new structure which houses the Ara Pacis in Rome.

meier3Exterior

Richard Meier, who is the first Jewish architect in history to design a church for the Roman Catholic Church, has perfectly used the Catholic symbolism. The three curved walls resemble the sails of a ship and refer to the Holy trinity. In particular the highest sail, which is 26 metres high, represents God’s protection over the Christian Community. The three sails also evoke a boat symbolising the Church sailing into the Third millennium. The sails and the walls are made with a new kind of marble-like concrete created by Italcementi Group. This concrete is called Bianco TX Millennium and contains titanium dioxide to preserve the whiteness of the building despite pollution, rain and other weather effects. Although the building is a masterpiece of contemporary architecture, its skylights, slender shapes and vertical lines remind the Gothic style. The 20-metre high belfry contains five bells which have a symbolic meaning: they represent the five continents.

meier2Interior

Entrance to the church is through large doors within a glass façade. A weekday chapel and baptistery each have their own entrances. The building, which has an asymmetrical plan, is characterized by a rational use of geometry, by superb handling of light and by the use of white as a symbol of purity. Thanks to its glass ceilings and skylights, the church makes dramatic use of light but it never allows direct sunlight inside. Only in the afternoon, specially in summer, sunrays can filter through to the crucifix through a small opening in the back.   The simple beech-wood of the pews and wood panelling contrast with the white colour of the organ loft and the white cross. The roof of the nave and eastern and western façades are made of glass, while the altar, baptismal font, and nave floor are made of travertine. The altar evokes the shape of a boat and is placed at the west end. A 17th century papiermâché crucifix is hanging over it. The position of the tabernacle is unusual, in fact it is not centrally located but at an angle. The only decorative elements beyond the crucifix are a marble bas-relief representing God the Father leaning down in a merciful attitude and a medieval statue of the Virgin Mary. The shape of the baptismal font reminds the ancient baths when baptism was celebrated with the full immersion of the body. The tabernacle, which is usually found centrally behind the main altar, is located at an angle closer to the day chapel. A number of silver liturgical objects made by Bulgari are on display behind the presbytery.

How to get to the Church

By car, take the Via Casilina, either west from the ring road (exit 18) or east from Rome, and turn north onto Via Tor Tre Teste. Once in the community, turn left onto Via Francesco Tovaglieri and the church will be visible. By public transport, take the bus 105 from Termini station, towards Grotte Celoni. Get off at the bus stop called Tobagi. Cross over to the north side of Via Casilina, cross the railroad and walk about 100 metres into the street Via Walter Tobagi where the bus stop is placed (because of a building site you may not see the bus stop from Via Casilina). Take bus 556 heading Gardenie and get off at the bus stop Tovaglieri, just before the church. When you go back, use the same bus stop. The total journey takes 45-60 minutes or a little more.

Opening times
From 7:30 to 12:30 - From 15:30 to 19:30

Church of God Our Merciful Father - Largo Terzo Millennio 8 - 9 (Via Francesco Tovaglieri – Tor Tre Teste) 00155 Rome - Tel. /Fax 062315833

Website http://www.diopadremisericordioso.it Email: Questo indirizzo email è protetto dagli spambots. È necessario abilitare JavaScript per vederlo.

Brochure made in the School Year 2011-2012 by the following students:
Andreka Marinela, Bonanni Giada, Gaudio Ylenia, Marciello Giulia, Piccardi Andrea, Rocchi Ylenia, Romanzi Marianna, Vernillo Federica, Volpe Federica.
Teachers: Claudia Bidolli; Laura Falaschi


chiesa tre veleDall'anno scolastico 2005/2006 l'Istituto Tecnico per il Turismo Livia Bottardi ha adottato, all'interno del progetto "la scuola adotta un monumento", la chiesa delle Tre Vele di Richard Meier situata a Tor Tre Teste. La chiesa è stata concepita nell'ambito del programma "50 chiese per Roma 2000" varato dal Vicariato di Roma che nel 1995 bandì un concorso internazionale di architettura ad inviti. La chiesa di Dio Padre Misericordioso, voluta da Papa Giovanni Paolo II, rappresenta il "memoriale" del Grande Giubileo del 2000 e la trasposizione visiva dei contenuti dell'Enciclica "Dices in Misericordia" emanata nel novembre del 1980. Il motivo della nostra scelta è stato dettato dalla possibilità di mettere in relazione un monumento del passato, il "Casale della Cervelletta," già adottato, con un'architettura proiettata nel futuro al fine di ricostruire l'identità dei luoghi e della cultura del territorio. Inoltre la chiesa di Meier, meta di migliaia di visitatori da tutto il mondo, costituisce occasione da parte dei nostri alunni di sperimentare le attività inerenti la professione di guida turistica che fa parte delle finalità della nostra scuola. Le alunne svolgono visite guidate, in occasione delle manifestazioni del Natale di Roma e della settimana dei beni culturali, per far conoscere la complessità culturale del linguaggio dell'architettura moderna, il suo valore come polo qualificante il quartiere periferico di Tor Tre Teste e le problematiche da affrontare per valorizzare le periferie della città.

A queste adozioni si affianca l'importante attività degli archeobus, iniziata nell'anno scolastico 2001-2 nell'ambito del progetto della Rete Tiburtina-Collatina e ripetuta ogni anno in occasione delle manifestazioni per il Natale di Roma, che ha visto gli alunni del Bottardi operare come guide turistiche lungo due percorsi nell'area compresa nei Municipi III, V e VII con varie tappe nei siti adottati dalle scuole della Rete.

Obiettivi del progetto:
  • educare alla tutela ed alla valorizzazione delle risorse ambientali ed artistiche del territorio
  • consentire agli studenti di condividere e consolidare esperienze didattico-formative rilevanti
  • favorire la continuita' di progetti caratterizzanti l'indirizzo dell'istituto
  • incrementare lo sviluppo di capacita' relazionali e comunicative
  • formare gli studenti alla professione di guide ed accompagnatori
  • sviluppare la conoscenza del territorio e la capacita' di svolgere un ruolo attivo nella salvaguardia delle risorse archeologiche, artistiche ed ambientali.

Responsabile del progetto: Laura Falaschi

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