McDonald's Opens Its Doors In The Vatican With Protests

2024 Author: Steven Freeman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 08:15

The McDonald's fast food restaurant franchise has just opened in the historic Vatican City, but not everyone is happy with its arrival.

"It is a controversial measure, to say the least," Cardinal Elio Sgreccia told the Italian newspaper La Repubblica on Sunday. "[The opening of McDonald's] is in no way respectful of the traditional architecture of one of the most iconic squares that overlook the colonnade of [St. Peter's Basilica]."

The priest made the remarks on behalf of the seven cardinals who live on top of the premises, which covers an area of about 5,800 square feet, according to different sources, and which has been leased to McDonald's through ASPA, the office in charge of the goods. roots of the Vatican.

The announcement of the opening was made in October 2016 and since then it has been the subject of protests, especially by the cardinals who consider the restaurant as a neighbor.

The Vatican is expected to receive a few photos of the controversial local on social networks.

This would be the second McDonald's controversy in Italy in recent times, as in November the chain sued the city of Florence for $ 20 million after denying it the opening of an establishment in the historic Piazza del Duomo over protests by citizens of the birthplace of the Renaissance.

Unfortunately for critics of franchises, the burger joint will not be Pope Francis' first new neighbor. The New York Times indicated that the Vatican has already approved the rental of another space in Via della Conciliazione to the Hard Rock Café franchise.

The venue would join the Hard Rock Café that has already existed in Rome since 1998.