The Status Quo in Jerusalem is akin to a condominium regulation, where every balance is precarious, the result of ancient agreements and shared rules among Christian denominations. It finds its roots and significance in this place: at the crossroads of cultures, religions, and peoples that form the essence of the millennia-old Holy City. The Holy […]

In a modest neighborhood of Damascus, Syria, we lived together as a small family: my husband Riyad, our four children, and I, Amal. Despite the difficulties, we found joy in our simple existence. However, life often brings unexpected tragedies. “In general, the situation remains complicated after what happened on the coast. Here, people are stressed […]

«People do not have faith in the future, but the real problem is that there is a lack of certainty of good in the present. And without trust there is no hope » Tomorrow, March 15, is the anniversary of the outbreak of civil war in Syria. Exactly fourteen years ago, with the rise of […]

“People have no trust in the future. But the real problem is that there is no certainty of good in the present. And without trust, there is no hope” Tomorrow, March 15, marks the anniversary of the outbreak of the Syrian civil war. Fourteen years ago, amid the wave of protests that swept across the […]

A school that closes takes away every child’s right to have a space where they can learn and grow, both as individuals and as future members of society. After a century of resilience, history is about to prevail. Jericho, 2025. The sun beats down on a light-brick building, the courtyard fills with laughter and shouts: […]

Where is the biblical city of Jericho located today? We are in the West Bank, a few kilometers northeast of Jerusalem. Its origins are immersed in the mists of Time, its history holds secrets and curiosities not known to everyone. The city of Jericho (or Jéricho), mentioned in seventy passages of the Bible, stands on […]

In Jerusalem, work has now been completed to complete the second section of the archaeological museum of the Terra Sancta Museum: in view of the inauguration, we wanted to retrace the history of the museum and its many souls together with Sara Cibin, our project coordinator in Jordan and contact person for the museum project […]

“They need a network, because otherwise, they will always be nobody’s children: they will always be the marginalized, the abandoned.” In Bethlehem, there is a home that welcomes children from all over the West Bank. It is called SOS Village—a place where children with histories of loss and trauma can find people who care for […]

On Thursday, February 6, 2025, the workshop “In the Footsteps of Christianity in the Holy Land of Jordan” concluded in Amman, the capital of Jordan. This three-day event, supported and promoted by Pro Terra Sancta in collaboration with the Latin Patriarchate and the Studium Biblicum Franciscanum, aimed to highlight the artistic and cultural Christian heritage […]

We publish some excerpts from a dialogue with Lorenzo Trombetta, journalist, writer and correspondent for Ansa and other national and international newspapers. Given the numerous upheavals in the Middle East in the last two years, we asked Lorenzo Trombetta for a moment of discussion and in-depth analysis, the first – we hope – of many […]

After months of whispered and immediately dissolved hopes, retractions, steps forward and steps back, the truce between Israel and Hamas has been reached: voices from the field tell of contradictory feelings, relief and fear mingle in a painfully human tangle. Truce “I am Hussam Ghosheh, head of Cultural Heritage Education at the Pro Terra Sancta […]

With the ceasefire in Gaza announced, a faint hope for stable peace returns. Questions and conflicting interests remain. While waiting for the truce on January 19, the necessary aid is being prepared, but the real challenge is another. They are celebrating in Gaza, in Tel Aviv, they are celebrating the ceasefire which, if it holds, […]

A “deserted,” “almost motionless” city: this is the Jerusalem that Andrea and Giacomo carry with them on the flight from Tel Aviv back to Milan on an early January day. Christmas in the Holy Land, usually full of people, smiles, celebrations, and journeys, had a different flavor this year. More than a festive moment, our […]

The life of each child, cut short at birth, does not matter; the pain of their mother, father, and siblings does not matter. On December 28th, we remember the Holy Innocents, the unwilling protagonists of the tragedy known to the world as the “Massacre of the Innocents.” During the reign of King Herod the Great, […]

Bethlehem, Star Street: among the light-colored stone buildings lining the road to the Church of the Nativity, there is one that holds the childhood memories of many city residents. The city of Bethlehem feels bare during these cold December days: there are no shimmering lights in the streets, no Christmas tree bringing festive cheer to […]

Syria, Aleppo, December 12, 2024: The streets teem with life, seemingly restored to normality. A Christmas tree glimmers in the center of the city’s main square. Yet, the road from Damascus to Aleppo is lined with lifeless bodies, lives shattered by a war “won without fighting.” The testimony of Jean François Thiry “The journey itself […]

“Aleppo today is no longer a safe place, but it remains our home. And as the days go by, the longing for peace becomes a silent cry that we hope, one day, someone will hear.” “Good afternoon, my name is Jacob. I’m writing to you from Aleppo, a city in northern Syria, constantly struck and […]

La testimonianza da Damasco del nostro collaboratore, Ayham Khouly Damasco 09 dicembre: I ribelli sono entrati a Damasco, le persone sono terrorizzate, sono in continua ricerca di beni di prima necessità, prima che finiscano per l’intera città. La testimonianza da Damasco del nostro collaboratore, Ayham Khouly Damasco 08 dicembre: I ribelli sono entrati a Damasco […]

“Despite difficult times, despair is not an option.” “You are not alone. Despite difficult times, despair is not an option.” These were the words of the Patriarch of Jerusalem, Pierbattista Pizzaballa, addressing the community of Jenin, a troubled city in the West Bank, just hours after a heavy attack. Strong words, difficult even to utter […]

Either the Darkness alters— / Or something in the sight / Adjusts itself to Midnight— / And Life steps almost straight. The human eye is designed to be deeply adaptable to changes in its surrounding environment. When darkness falls and the shadows obscure vision, it takes only a few minutes for our eyes to learn […]