In the 1968 film Romeo and Juliet by Italian director Franco Zeffirelli, the secret wedding of Romeo and Juliet in the Church of San Pietro is one of the emotional climaxes of the entire film. This magnificent complex, located on Colle San Pietro in Tuscania, consists of a Romanesque church dating back to the 8th century, a bishop’s palace, and three medieval towers. Over the centuries, despite multiple instances of destruction and restoration, the complex continues to fulfill its religious and historical role in the Viterbo diocese.

 

The expansion project for the millennium pilgrims mirrors the careful restoration the complex has undergone over the centuries. The expansion design emphasizes showing respect for the existing building. The goal of this intervention is to maintain the integrity of the site while enhancing its functionality. After the expansion, the complex will include: the main nave of the Church of San Pietro, the church square, the Cloister Garden, the former bishop’s palace, the medieval towers, the Dormitory, the inner courtyard, the Chapter House, and the Refectory.

 

The three new buildings will be placed along the northern road of the complex, aligned with the main axis from west to east. These tightly arranged “secular” structures complement the open, undisturbed “sacred” spaces to the south, creating an invisible boundary, which echoes the idea that: “Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and unto God the things that are God's.”

 

The elevated northern wall will define the boundary of the new Dormitory, and the space between the wall and the church will be used as a “cloister courtyard” for meditation and rest. The former bishop’s palace, used for diocesan public affairs, will be complemented by the new Chapter House to complete the missing volumes and functions. A modern glass addition carefully bridges the old and the new, giving the complex a renewed, contemporary address. The new volume also establishes a new arch, setting the stage in spatial form for the Jubilee's "Opening of the Holy Door" ceremony. Passing through the archway symbolizes the transition from the secular to the sacred. The Refectory, located outside the walls, can extend into the open space to the south and connect with the third tower, which had previously been separated from the complex, thus ensuring the complex's unity.

 

With a clear architectural layout, careful interventions, and harmonious material selection, the expansion plan offers both functionality and a renewed sense of completeness to this historical religious site.