Rome’s famous ‘hot priest’ calendar rarely features members of the clergy, confessed the photographer behind one of Italy’s best-selling souvenirs.
The black and white calendar, which has been released every year for more than two decades, features a selection of cassock-wearing hunks, said to be Catholic prelates.
But according to the snapper who creates the images for the A4 calendar on display in newsstands across Rome, few of the models are real priests.
Speaking to the Italian newspaper Il Post, Piero Pazzi said: ‘It is true, they are not all priests, but the intention was to give priests a profile as a symbol of Rome, which owes so much to the Vatican and the Catholic Church. church in general. .’
The flip calendar, officially known as Calendario Romano (Roman calendar), costs around €8 and has been released since 2003.
Rome’s famous ‘hot priest’ calendar (photo: 2004 edition) rarely features members of the clergy, the photographer behind one of Italy’s best-selling souvenirs has confessed
Anyone walking the ancient streets of Rome will regularly see handsome cassock-wearing ‘priests’ smiling at them from souvenir shops and kiosks all over the city, displayed among fridge magnets, tea towels and models of Swiss Guard soldiers.
The calendar has gained a cult following over the years, with estimates suggesting thousands are sold every year.
Each month on the flip calendar is a black and white photo of a young man wearing a priest’s robe, complete with the white collar and black cassock.
But according to Mr Pazzi, all is not as it seems.
Many of the young men he photographed for the souvenir are not priests, he admitted to Il Post, telling the publication that some are not even Italian.
Some of the young men who appeared in the black-and-white photos are Hispanic, he admits, including one who worked as a real estate agent.
Those photos, he explains, were taken when Mr. Pazzi lived in Seville.
Even Giovanni Galizia (the priest who has always been on the cover and bears a striking resemblance to Hollywood megastar Matt Damon) is not a priest, according to the Italian newspaper.
The black and white calendar (on display at a newsstand in Venice), which has been released every year for more than two decades, features a selection of cassock-wearing hunks said to be Catholic prelates
Galizia was 17 when he first appeared on the calendar in 2004. He is now 36 and works as a flight attendant in his native Palermo.
‘No, I am not a priest. I can confirm it. I would remember it if I was,” he said in an interview with Italy Fan page magazine.
“(Pazzi) asked me if I wanted to take that photo and I said, ‘Why not.’ From there, this never-ending story was born,” he said at the time.
‘But I have never been a model and have never had these kinds of ambitions.’
Galizia said that due to an agreement he made with the photographer in 2004, he does not even receive royalties, despite his numerous appearances on the cover, which makes him recognized to this day.
Pazzi debunked some of the myths surrounding the calendar regarding how the Vatican itself feels about its publication, saying the Holy See has never issued a warning or complaint against him.
Another report he highlighted was false and involved claims that a portion of the proceeds from the sale of the calendar will go to a charity that supports victims of Church abuse, SNAP (Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests).
No proceeds went to charity, he told il Post.
According to the photographer who takes the images for the A4 calendar on display in kiosks across Rome (pictured), few models are real priests
He also admitted that he does not know many of the people who ended up on the calendar, and that he has photographed some of them on the street.
He also says he does not know how many copies are sold, because, as il Post reports, he is ‘not concerned with administrative matters’, but only with the artistic side.
This also includes choosing the photos every year, many of which are reused.
Interest is still significant, Mr. Pazzi added.