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MCDONALD'S

Controversial Vatican McDonald’s to give free meals to the homeless

A McDonald's restaurant which was labelled "perverse" for opening in a Vatican-owned property, has revealed that it will give out thousands of free meals to the local homeless community.

Published: 12 January 2017 09:52 CET
Controversial Vatican McDonald's to give free meals to the homeless
McDonald's has been causing outrage in Italy for 30 years. Photo: Richard Allaway/Flickr

The restaurant opened at the start of the year, following months of protest from locals over the move. 

One cardinal said it was “controversial and perverse” to set up the famed golden arches in a building which is home to seven cardinals and located just metres from St Peter's Square. 

And the Committee for the Protection of Borgo, the historic district around the Vatican, told AFP that the outlet would be a further blow to “identity of the area”, which draws huge throngs of tourists.

Now, the Borgo Pio branch of McDonald's – nicknamed McVatican – has agreed to collaborate with Medicina Solidale, a local organization which offers assistance to the homeless, in distributing food to those living on the streets around the Vatican.

Lucia Ercoli, director of the organization, said she was “very satisfied with this agreement with McDonald's” and added that the chain has responded “promptly” to their request.

Medicina Solidale has been working with the Vatican's charitable arm over the past year, providing health check-ups and medical care to the local homeless community.

Volunteers and workers at the charity will hand out more than 1000 McDonald's meals to rough sleepers every Monday lunchtime, starting from January 16th. The lunches will include a double cheeseburger, apple slices and a bottle of water.

McDonald's in Italy

Along with other foreign fast food chains, McDonald's has a problematic history in Italy.

Its first restaurant opened up near the Spanish steps in Rome 30 years ago, sparking protests. Fashion brand Valentino, which has its Rome headquarters nearby, complained about the smells and noise from the restaurant, and the opening also sparked the now global Slow Food movement.

Elsewhere, Florence has taken the struggle to protect its culinary history particularly strongly.

In March, the city passed a law aimed at ensuring that at least 70 percent of produce in all new eateries was locally sourced, amid worries that a growing number of cheap kebab shops and other fast food outlets aimed at tourists meant the city was at risk of losing its character.

In 2016, the Tuscan capital turned down a request for the golden arches to set up shop in the city's central square, leading the fast food chain to threaten legal action.

READ MORE: How Florence is coping with its clampdown on foreign food

How Florence is coping with its 'foreign' food clamp down

Photo: Frank Kovalchek

Pope Francis and the homeless

The collaboration between the restaurant and the charity is likely to go down well with Pope Francis, who is known for his commitment to the poor and has spoken out against greed in the church.

Pope Francis marked his 78th birthday by ordering the distribution of hundreds of sleeping bags to homeless people in Rome, after spending his 77th birthday with a number of homeless people whom he invited to morning mass at the Vatican. Private tours of the Sistine Chapel have also been offered to local rough sleepers.

The pontiff has also had showers installed in St Peter's Square's public restrooms to give local rough sleepers a place to wash, a decision made after Franco, a homeless man from Sardinia, turned down a dinner invitation from a Vatican archbishop because he “smelled”.

At the weekend, after several homeless people across Italy died in freezing, snowy conditions, Francis appealed for Vatican-run shelters to be kept open 24 hours and for weather-resistant sleeping bags to be distributed to those who did not want to be moved.

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FOOD AND DRINK

Six of the most Italian non-alcoholic aperitivo drinks

As well as its most famous cocktails, Italy has a long tradition of making refreshing aperitivo drinks without the alcohol.

Published: 11 April 2024 12:01 CEST
Six of the most Italian non-alcoholic aperitivo drinks

Italy’s favourite aperitivo-hour cocktails are known far beyond the country’s borders, so their names will probably be familiar to you whether you drink them or not.

But if you’re in Italy and not drinking alcohol, you might find yourself stumped when it comes time to order your aperitivo at the bar.

The first time I found myself in this situation, there was no menu. The waiter instead rattled off a long list of all the soft drinks available, most of which I’d never heard of, and I just picked something I thought sounded nice.

Luckily it turns out that Italy has some great options for an aperitivo analcolico. As well as ‘virgin’ versions of well-known cocktails, there are bitters, sodas and other Italian-made soft drinks that you’re unlikely to find anywhere else.

They might not be quite as iconic as the Aperol Spritz, but they’re as thoroughly Italian – plus, effortlessly ordering one of these will make you look like a true local.

SanBittèr

San Pellegrino’s SanBittèr is one of the most famous non-alcoholic Italian drinks of all, with its highly-recognisable red packaging, often enjoyed in place of Campari cocktails because of its similar dark, ruby-red color.

This drink is carbonated with a slightly sweet, citrus flavor. The recipe is more complex than that of an orange or lemon soda, with notes of spice and herbs, making it ideal to pair with your aperitivo-hour snacks.

Crodino

Crodino looks a lot like an Aperol Spritz with its bright orange hue, and that’s not an accident: it’s said to have been created as a non-alcoholic alternative, and the zesty, slightly herbal taste is similar. It’s typically served the same way. in a round goblet glass over ice with a slice of orange: a Crodino Spritz.

The name comes from the town of Crodo in Piedmont, where it is still bottled today by the Campari group.

Chinotto

Citrusy Chinotto is an acquired taste for many, but it’s worth trying: it’s one of the classic Italian bitters and is said to have a long history, dating back to a recipe shared by Chinese sailors arriving on the Ligurian coast in the 1500s.

It may look a little like Coca Cola, but don’t let the appearance fool you.

(Photo by Eugene Gologursky /Getty Images via AFP)

Aranciata/Limonata

Aranciata is Italy’s version of an orange soda, but not as sugary, and it tastes like oranges. Its base is sparkling water with the addition of orange juice and sugar. There are various brands, but San Pellegrino’s is the most popular. It also sells a ‘bitter’ aranciata amaro, with even less sugar, more citrus tang and herbal notes, which might be more aperitivo-hour appropriate.

Limonata is, as you might guess, the Italian answer to lemonade. Again there are many versions out there but the fizzy San Pellegrino limonata is beloved for its strong, sweet-sour flavour and there’s nothing more refreshing on a hot summer’s day.

Cedrata

Cedrata is one of Italy’s oldest and best-known non-alcoholic drinks. It’s a refreshing, carbonated drink made from a large citrus fruit called a cedro, grown in southern Italy. It’s far less bitter than a Chinotto, but not as sweet as limonata.

The main producer of Cedrata today is Tassoni, and this is what you’re likely to get if you order it at a bar.

Gingerino

This is harder to find than the other aperitivi on the list and is seen as decidedly retro, but it’s worth trying if you can track it down.

It’s another orange-coloured, sparkling drink which became popular in Italy in the 1970s and is still sold today, though you’re more likely to find it in the north-east, close to Venice, where it’s produced.

You may be expecting it to taste a lot like ginger beer, and there are similarities, but it has stronger citrus notes and more bitterness.

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