The Eternal City’s oldest gift shop, Savelli Religious, is bringing old-school sensibility to city souvenirs
How the Vatican's favourite souvenir shop has stayed in the family since 1898
Cities across the globe are plagued by tourist-trinket shops hawking mass-produced plastic memorabilia. But step away from the madding crowd on St Peter’s Square in Rome and you’ll find a souvenir shop that has the art of tasteful keepsake curation down to a science. Founded in 1898, Savelli Religious is a fourth-generation, family-run emporium that has catered to everyone from Leonardo DiCaprio to pilgrims journeying to the Vatican.
“Those who come to us are looking for something that they can’t find just by shopping around,” says Alessandra Savelli, the current custodian and great-granddaughter of the shop’s founder (and former Palatine Guard), Lorenzo Savelli. Inside, objects from legacy Italian suppliers line the shelves and rosaries made from shimmering Murano glass sit alongside silver angel pendants and carved wooden crucifixes. Upstairs, a mosaic gallery offers depictions of Rome’s iconic sites, as well as the opportunity to commission a custom-made piece.
When Monocle visits, Alessandra’s 29-year-old daughter Giorgia is on duty, stopping to talk with employees as we walk through the shop. The long-term plan is for Giorgia and her two sisters – the fifth generation of the family – to take over the business. “People come here and feel welcomed, as though they were at home,” says Giorgia. “We are not just a family with the name Savelli. This shop represents everything that we have built together.”
savellireligious.com
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A city’s soft power encompasses more than its major exports or the prestige of the celebrities who call it home. Small keepsakes that visitors pick up on a whim can also broadcast its appeal from a mantelpiece. Mayors, take note: keep an eye on your souvenir shops.
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