Italy: Church Chronology

1843 • Boston, MassachusettsJoseph Toronto (born Giuseppe Taranto), the first known Italian convert to the Church, was baptized.

October 1849 • Salt Lake City, UtahDuring general conference, Brigham Young announced the opening of a mission in Italy.

June 25, 1850 • Genoa, ItalyLorenzo Snow of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, T. B. H. Stenhouse, and Joseph Toronto arrived in Italy.

August 1850 • Palermo, ItalyToronto preached the gospel in his hometown among his friends and family.

September 1850 • Torre Pellice, ItalyLorenzo Snow, T. B. H. Stenhouse, and Jabez Woodard dedicated Italy for the preaching of the gospel.

October 27, 1850 • ItalyJean Antoine Bosc was baptized by Lorenzo Snow, becoming the first convert baptized in Italy.

November 1850 • ItalyJabez Woodard was called to preside over the mission in Italy. Lorenzo Snow traveled to England to oversee the printing of the Book of Mormon in Italian.

1851 • Italy

John Daniel Malan Sr. was ordained an elder and became the first to be ordained to the Melchizedek Priesthood in Italy.

1851 • Angrogna, ItalyThe Angrogna Branch, the first branch in present-day Italy, was organized.

March 1851–April 1852 • ItalyThe Book of Mormon was translated into Italian, and 1,000 copies of Il Libro di Mormon were printed.

1854–71 • ItalyConverts from the Waldensian faith began immigrating to Salt Lake City, many with the help of the Perpetual Emigrating Fund.

1867 • ItalyThe Italian Mission was closed. During the 17 years of the Italian Mission, about 180 converts were baptized. Only 6 members remained in Italy.

1944–45 • ItalyDuring World War II and its aftermath, groups of LDS servicemen were organized throughout Italy.

1951–65 • SwitzerlandThe Swiss Mission translated and published new editions of the Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, and Pearl of Great Price in Italian.

1964 • ItalyThe Swiss Mission organized an Italian district with branches throughout Italy.

March 1966 • Brescia, ItalyThe first Italian-speaking branch was organized with Leopoldo Larcher as the branch president. An Italian-speaking branch in Palermo was organized in May.

August 2, 1966 • Florence, ItalyThe Italian Mission was organized with John Duns Jr. as mission president.

November 10, 1966 • Torre PelliceEzra Taft Benson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles rededicated Italy on the same site where Lorenzo Snow had done so 116 years earlier.

December 1966 • PalermoThe first Relief Society in Italy was organized in Palermo.

June 1967 • ItalyLa Stella, the Italian-language magazine of the Church, was first published.

July 1967 • French-Belgian MissionAlfredo Mandice, a member of the Turin Branch, became the first Italian to serve a full-time mission.

1970s • ItalyMembers and missionaries produced brief audio and video presentations about the Church, which were broadcast throughout the country. This outreach continued for many years.

July 1, 1971 • Milan and RomeThe Italian Mission was divided into the Italy North and Italy South Missions.

September 1972 • ItalyHarold B. Lee, President of the Church, and other Church leaders from Salt Lake City traveled to Italy, toured the country, and visited with members.

1975–77 • RomeLeopoldo and Maria Larcher presided over the Italy Rome Mission. They were the first native couple to preside over a mission in Italy.

January 1980 • MilanA regional office of the Presiding Bishopric was opened in Milan with Italian employees.

June 1980 • Pisa, ItalyThe first LDS meetinghouse in Italy was dedicated in Pisa.

1981 • MilanThe first stake in Italy was organized in Milan with Mario V. Vaira as president.

1993 • Zollikofen, SwitzerlandMario V. and Rosa F. Vaira were called as the first temple president and temple matron from Italy. They served in the Bern Switzerland Temple.

February 23, 1993 • RomeOscar Luigi Scalfaro, president of the Italian Republic, granted the Church formal legal status as a religious association.

April 5, 1997 • Salt Lake CityRaimondo Castellani was called as an Area Seventy. He was the first Italian called to this position.

May 9, 1997 • ItalyChurch leaders applied for an intesa. This agreement would allow the Church to operate with greater security and autonomy under Italian law.

2001 • ItalyChurch membership in Italy exceeded 20,000.

2005 • ItalyThe Mormon Helping Hands program was organized in Italy. Members volunteered their time to community service projects throughout the country, including the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin.

January 9, 2007 • Italy

The Church joined a coalition of religious groups seeking an intesa with the Italian government.

October 4, 2008 • Salt Lake CityThomas S. Monson, President of the Church, announced plans to build a temple in Rome.

October 23, 2010 • RomeThomas S. Monson presided at the groundbreaking of the Rome Italy Temple.

July 30, 2012 • RomeAfter it was accepted by the parliament, Giorgio Napolitano, president of the Italian Republic, signed an intesa with the Church. Currently only 12 faiths have this status.

November 2014 • Vatican CityHenry B. Eyring, First Counselor in the First Presidency, addressed religious leaders at an interfaith summit on marriage and family.

April 3, 2016 • Salt Lake CityMassimo De Feo was sustained as the first Italian General Authority.

October 23, 2016 • ItalyWith the boundary realignment of the Puglia and Palermo Italy Stakes, all Church members in Italy now live within a stake.