PinUp Priests? Calendario Romano 2025

Ciao Ciao Roma!

Despite having pinkeye now with itchy eyes and gunk blurring my vision at times, I had eagle eyes in Rome in May 2025 to zone in on an unusual (IMHO) souvenir - a pin-up calendar of priests! I was wildly amused and had to take a closer look at them hanging from a street vendor’s display. I totally get the yearly calendars with (12 or so) cute puppies, horses, sweeping landscapes of the best place on Earth, handsome firefighters, and cops, but priests? I’m still wrapping my head around the pius aspect of the job. The calendars were hung lower than eye level, so maybe it doesn’t mean many people tune into them? I really don’t know.

Once we saw the one stand “showcasing” them near the Trevi Fountain, we saw them all around the main attractions with outdoor street vendors. For 8 Euros, these handsome priests could be gracing your bulletin board. Apparently, in Roma, these are considered the “hot priest calendars,” and not all the “good-looking young men” who posed are, in fact, priests. Maybe it’s the collar that draws interest? The word on the street is that the calendar’s purpose is to inform tourists about Vatican City, not just to showcase attractive men. Really?

While noticing the handsome young priest’s calendars as we spread our wings across the Eternal City, my gang of six also saw a version of the calendar of priests who were at least 20+ years older, not just the young whipper-snappers of the hot sellers. Might I add that version seemed weird to me? I didn’t even take a photo of that one. “They” say, these calendars are the hottest souvenirs in Rome, though not a one landed in my suitcase (and I love me a fantastic souvenir).

No judgment of those purchasing one because I was told, "it's a thing"; I’ll stick with the cute puppies, landscapes, and flowers.

Ciao!

Terri