In a powerful demonstration of shared commitment to heritage and the next generation, ICCROM Director-General Aruna Francesca Maria Gujral and the President of the Fabbrica di San Pietro in the Vatican His Eminence Cardinal Mauro Gambetti, have signed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to launch a new strategic partnership rooted in conservation, craftsmanship, and international cooperation.

This Agreement sets the stage for collaborative projects and joint capacity-building initiatives focused on restoration, conservation, and the sustainable care of cultural heritage, with particular attention to the enhancement of craftsmanship skills. At its core is a commitment to empowering local expertise, safeguarding Africa’s rich heritage, and creating socio-economic opportunities for youth through skills development.

ICCROM Director-General Aruna Francesca Maria Gujral and the President of the Fabbrica di San Pietro in the Vatican His Eminence Cardinal Mauro Gambetti

Already on the horizon for this partnership is a transformative three-year Programme, generously supported by the Government of Italy through the Directorate General for Development Cooperation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. The initiative will offer immersive training opportunities for African artisans and craftspeople, drawing on over five centuries of knowledge and craftsmanship safeguarded at the Fabbrica di San Pietro.

Using a cascading capacity-building approach, participants will combine skills acquired at the Vatican with traditional knowledge from their own countries, multiplying impact through knowledge exchange within their wider communities. Institutions in Côte d’Ivoire, Egypt, Kenya, and Tunisia will lead this dynamic exchange.

The project is also in line with Italy’s broader international cooperation strategies, including the Mattei Plan, reinforcing sustainable, equitable, and mutually beneficial partnerships across the African content.

“This signing marks the beginning of a meaningful journey, in which two great traditions of knowledge come together: one rooted in the heart of the Vatican City and the other forged by the diversity of the world’s heritage. In this partnership, we find renewed energy and inspiration, where the past becomes a source of light and hope for the future. Heritage is much more than what we inherit; it is a living expression of the identities that preceded us and that accompany us as we shape tomorrow. Culture is a bridge, a source of unity and renewal that keeps us human, evolving and enduring through generations.”

— Aruna Francesca Maria Gujral, ICCROM Director-General

“Through this educational project, the Fabricca di San Pietro, through its School of Arts and Crafts, opens the doors of the Vatican Basilica to young African artists and artisans, offering them the opportunity to acquire unique skills in the conservation and enhancement of cultural heritage. Sharing the knowledge gained over the centuries and transmitting the craftsmanship excellence that preserves St. Peter’s Basilica represents a commitment to the growth of new generations of professionals in the field of cultural heritage protection, in a spirit of service, authentic fraternity and love for the beauty that leads to God.”

— His Eminence Cardinal Mauro Gambetti

This landmark Agreement underscores ICCROM’s and the Fabbrica di San Pietro’s shared vision to build a future where heritage is preserved through local knowledge, international collaboration and innovative practice – fostering more resilient and prosperous communities, stronger social cohesion, and sustainable development for people, culture and planet.