A Glimpse Inside the Vatican Supermarket

Crossing the glass door of the Vatican supermarket is a unique experience, somewhat like the passage from Ecclesiastes that says: ‘to enjoy good things in eating and drinking, the fruit of our labor and the hand of God.’ Yesterday morning, with the reopening of the famous Annona closed after months of renovation and management change entrusted by the late Pope Francis – for the first time – to an external manager, the Magazzini Gabrielli Spa holder of the Tigre brand, groups of thrifty nuns were seen making their weekly bulk purchases. For religious men and women of every order and rank, the principle is that one eye should be on prices and the other on quality. Shopping beyond the Tiber remains a serious affair. The store dating back to the 1930s, where even the Peruvian cook of Leo XIV – as well as all the nuns who care for bishops and archbishops residing in the small state – has resumed fully supplying its regular customers, who are mainly curia employees, clergy, accredited diplomats in the Vatican, and the varied army of religious orders. Naturally, only those with a membership card can enter, and it must be shown at the time of payment. Inside, everything has been curated down to the smallest details, with a gigantic tablet placed on a stand at the bread counter where one can type in the product they wish to buy to examine its ingredients. At the butcher’s counter, two staff members were cutting and wrapping, and in the well-stocked wine section, a very kind sommelier provided guidance and offered small tastings to customers. The selection of wines is vast and considers regional distributions, small producers, and even a corner dedicated to champagnes. Veuve Clicot, Jaquart, Laurent Perrier, Pommery, Ruinart. The costs are indeed lower compared to outside as they are not burdened by VAT. The departments are completed by a section dedicated to frozen pizzas of every shape and origin and a corner with a wide range of votive candles with images of Saint Padre Pio, Saint John XXIII, Merciful Jesus, and Our Lady of Fatima. Also well-stocked is the fruit juice corner, which would have delighted Benedict XVI, a known great consumer of orange juice. The Magazzini Gabrielli Spa, based in Ascoli Piceno, which holds the Tigre brand and won the contract, will soon activate the service for ordering groceries and picking them up in-store, with discounts for large families, those over seventy, and the ‘Cico Club’ dedicated to new parents: all these categories are entitled to a 10% discount.