The Madrid City Council presented this Tuesday the visual, cultural and logistical setup designed for the visit of Pope Leo XIV to the Spanish capital, scheduled between June 6 and 9.
The mayor, José Luis Martínez-Almeida, unveiled the official image of the visit and some of the measures prepared by the City Council for the events the Pontiff will preside over, including the Mass on June 7 in Plaza de Cibeles, where he will also receive the Golden Key of the City.
During his speech, Almeida highlighted that Madrid will be “the first major European city” visited by Leo XIV and noted that the City Council is working to ensure the city “offers the welcome he deserves”.
Banners, lighting and buses featuring the Pope’s image
The official image presented by the City Council uses the white and yellow colors of the Vatican flag and shows a silhouette of the Pontiff against a background inspired by the façade of the Palacio de Cibeles.
The City Council will roll out the visual campaign at various points in Madrid through banners on 14 bridges and M-30 access points, as well as on bus shelters, mupis and digital screens.
In addition, 1,600 banners will be installed on central streets and balcony decorations will be placed on municipal buildings, hotels and homes along the main routes of the papal visit.
The City Council will also distribute more than 15,000 pennants, fans, hats and bracelets to attendees of the June 7 Mass.
Thirty EMT Madrid buses will also circulate with vinyl wraps featuring the image of Leo XIV and will display information about the visit on their interior screens.
Madrid will be illuminated with Vatican colors
Among the planned measures is the special lighting of some of the capital’s main monuments and spaces with the colors of the Vatican flag.
The fountains of Cibeles and Neptune, the Puerta de Alcalá, the Bilbao roundabout and the Palacio de Cibeles will remain illuminated during the papal visit.
In addition, various public spaces and municipal parking lots in the city center will be decorated.
100,000 flowers and special decoration in several districts
The setup prepared by the City Council also includes extensive floral ornamentation at various points in Madrid.
The City Council will plant around 100,000 white and yellow flowers in squares, parks and avenues in eight Madrid districts. Among the areas planned are Retiro Park, Plaza de Cibeles, Plaza de España, Paseo del Prado, Puerta de Alcalá and the Sabatini Gardens.
In addition, Casa de Campo will host a large Vatican flag visible from the air, made of white and yellow dust.
The “Madrid sacro” route and nighttime museum openings
The City Council has also prepared various cultural and tourist initiatives coinciding with the visit of Leo XIV.
Among them is the route “Madrid sacro”, an itinerary through 14 churches and monasteries of special historical and artistic value, available in Spanish, English, French and Portuguese.
The route includes temples such as the Almudena Cathedral, San Isidro, San Jerónimo el Real, San Antonio de los Alemanes and the Pontifical Basilica of San Miguel.
In addition, on the night of June 6 to 7 a “White and Yellow Night” will be held, with free admission and extended hours at 15 Madrid museums until 2 a.m.
Paseo de Recoletos will also host a photographic exhibition on the visits of Saint John Paul II and Benedict XVI to Madrid.
Boost to tourism, cleaning and mobility
The City Council will also strengthen tourist information, cleaning and mobility services during the days of the papal visit.
A specific information point will be set up at Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport and a website with practical information for pilgrims and visitors will be activated.
In addition, the City Council will install more than 1,200 recycling bins in the areas with the highest attendance and will strengthen cleaning services in several districts of the capital.
The visit of Leo XIV will mobilize an important municipal response for several days, coinciding with the arrival in Madrid of thousands of pilgrims from various points in Spain and abroad.