Professor Elvira Cajano has been appointed President of the Permanent Commission for the Protection of Historical and Arti-stic Monuments of the Holy See. The announcement was made on April 10 by Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin, marking a new chapter for the century-old institution charged with safe-guarding some of the most trea-sured sites and artworks in Chri-stendom.
Cajano, an esteemed archi-tectural historian born in Parma in 1955, brings decades of expertise to her new role. With an academic background that bridges architecture, history, and conservation–earned at the Uni-versity of Rome “La Sapienza”–she has long stood at the inter-section of scholarship and public service. Her leadership roles within the Superintendency of Archaeology, Fine Arts, and Heritage of Umbria, coupled with her tenure as a visiting professor at the Pontifical Gregorian University, position her uniquely to take on the complex responsi-bilities of the Commission.
More than an administrative role, the presidency of the Co-mmission represents a stewardship of memory and meaning. Cajano succeeds Francesco Buranelli, a former director of the Vatican Museums and a leading figure in art conservation. Under Cajano’s direction, the Commission will continue to serve not only as a regulatory body but also as a cultural conscience for the Vatican–evaluating restoration projects, overseeing architectural developments, and shaping the ways sacred art is preserved and presented both within Vatican City and in extraterritorial sites under its jurisdiction.