For years, he has been one of the most recognizable faces of the iconic Roman Calendar. Smiling beneath a clerical collar and cassock, his image continues to appear in the popular calendar sold to tourists visiting the Italian capital. Over time, the photograph - taken by photographer Piero Pazzi - sparked countless urban legends. Some claimed the man had become an elderly parish priest in Milan, others insisted he had rebelled against the Catholic Church, while some believed he had abandoned the priesthood for love. The truth, however, is far less dramatic.
The man in the photo is Giovanni Galizia, a 36-year-old from Palermo who has never been a priest. Galizia explained that the picture was taken back in 2004, when he was only 17 years old. Despite its association with Rome, the photograph was actually shot in Palermo, outside a local church. The idea behind the Roman Calendar was to portray symbolic Italian characters: gondoliers for Venice and priests representing Rome and the Vatican atmosphere. Several other young men dressed as priests also appeared in the calendar, none of whom were members of the clergy. Galizia met photographer Piero Pazzi while the latter was working on a project in Palermo. Pazzi asked him to pose for the photograph, and Giovanni accepted without imagining that the image would become so enduringly famous. He never pursued modeling and still describes the experience as little more than a playful moment.
Over the years, the unexpected popularity of the photo generated curiosity and jokes across social media. Galizia recalls laughing at comments from users claiming the “young priest” in the picture must now be in his eighties. Still, the viral fame caused problems on at least one occasion, when his image was used alongside an online article about a former drug addict who had become a priest. The misunderstanding became serious enough to raise concerns at his workplace and briefly pushed him to consider legal action before the article was eventually removed.
Away from the spotlight, Giovanni lives a relatively ordinary life. He works as a flight attendant and also holds an office role within the airline company he works for, focusing on staff training and relations with Spanish aviation authorities, duties that frequently take him to Barcelona.