Another papal first: shopping for eyeglasses in downtown Rome

September 03, 2015

Pope Francis left the Vatican on Thursday, September 3, to buy new eyeglasses at a shop in downtown Rome.

The Pope stunned other shoppers on the stylist Via del Babuino when he appeared in the early evening in a shop not far from the Spanish Steps. 

Alessandro Spiezia, the shop's proprietor, told reporters that the Pontiff only wanted new lenses, not new frames. Spiezia revealed that he had made a set of eyeglasses for the Pontiff last year, and was prepared to go to the Vatican to bring the new lenses, but the Pope said: "No, I don't want Spiezia to come here; I'll go to the Via del Babuino."

After purchasing the new prescription, the Pope returned to the Vatican in a Ford Focus, accompanied by a security official. 

 

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Further information:

• Pope pops out of Vatican, stop to get new glasses (AP)
• Pope Francis eyes a bargain, buys new glasses in Roman outing (RNS)