In recent weeks, the death of Pope Francis, followed by the conclave, and then the election of the new Pope has marked a turning point in religious life… and also in the local economy.
Just a few meters from the Vatican is the Borgo Pio area—a neighborhood full of shops: from souvenir stores to restaurants to gelato shops.
FRANCESCO CERAVOLO, Heladeria Gelato Shop
Both the unfortunate death of the pontiff, which drew many people to Rome, and the coronation of the new pope, Leo XIV, have, in a way, given new momentum and brought in enthusiastic faithful from all over the world. We believe that the flow of pilgrims for the upcoming jubilees will also be quite different. There will be renewed vitality in terms of arrivals.
Francesco runs this gelato shop on one of the streets in the area. He says the change of Pope, beyond its symbolism, also has a major impact on business.
FRANCESCO CERAVOLO, Hedera Gelato Shop
It shouldn't be spoken of only from a commercial point of view, because the arrival of a new pope is always a blessing, but in this case, it will surely also bring benefits in terms of the city’s GDP, that is, in terms of revenue. And this entire area lives off tourism, so a recovery was inevitably expected.
A recovery that is already being felt in some souvenir shops, such as the one run by Stefano, which specializes in religious items and keepsakes.
STEFANO COMANDINI, Comandini Religious Articles & Souvenirs
These days have obviously gone, and are going, very well, because between the death of the former pope and the election of the new one, there has been a lot of foot traffic. A lot of people are coming, so, thank God, we are very busy.
However, other shopkeepers, like Lorenzo, admit that for them, the change has been good, but not particularly remarkable. They are expecting pilgrims, but not much beyond the usual.
LORENZO, Trattoria Pizzeria
It’s good, but like every year. Every year there are a lot of people, especially on this street, which is the main street here in the Vatican area, and we were expecting more people because it's the Jubilee year, but in reality, there aren’t that many. It’s practically the same. So, of course, business is great, but more or less the same as in other years.
Activity in Borgo Pio continues on. With the beginning of the Jubilee and the recent change of Pope, tourism is expected to remain a key economic factor for the area in the coming months.
BAM
Trans. CRT
