ROME (AP) — Pope Francis was a frequent visitor to Rome long before he became pope, and over time found his favorite shops and artisans who are now pulling for him as he battles double pneumonia.
“The pope is by now a friend, a beloved person for me, not a customer,” said Francis’ optician, Alessandro Spiezia. “I am praying for his recovery.”
Francis’ occasional unannounced visits to Spiezia’s shop, on the tony Via del Babuino near Piazza del Popolo, often created mob scenes as tourists and Romans alike realized the pope was inside.
Francis has popped in a few times since becoming pope in 2013 to get new lenses for his glasses, arriving in a simple Ford or Fiat with minimal security detail and waving to well-wishers as he came and went.
The Argentine pope also has his favorite ice cream flavors, and a shop near his Vatican hotel has catered for years to his sweet tooth.