VIDEO Robert de Niro visited Pope Leon at the Vatican. What the sovereign pontiff gave the actor
Pope Leo XIV and Robert De Niro. Photo: ABACA / Shutterstock Editorial / Profimedia
The American actor Robert de Niro spent 48 hours in Rome and made a stop at the Vatican, where he met Pope Leo XIV, with whom he had a brief conversation. The Sovereign Pontiff gave him a rosary, reports News.ro citing Vatican News.
The short audience took place in the Sala del Tronetto in the Apostolic Palace, in the framework of a busy agenda of the Sovereign Pontiff.
The famous actor, two-time Oscar winner, 82 years old, American, but with Italian roots – specifically from Molise – which he has always proudly claimed, wanted to end his 48-hour visit to Rome with a handshake with his compatriot, the Pope.
A Pope who, according to many lifelong friends from Chicago, has always been a lover of cinema. And so it happened: in the Sala del Tronetto they exchanged a few phrases in English, took a photo with De Niro's five companions and, finally, the Pontiff handed a rosary to each of those present.
“Rome is a living work of art”
For Robert de Niro, it was an incursion into the artistic beauty of the Apostolic Palace after Friday, watching from the balcony of mayor Roberto Gualtieri in the Capitol, he was impressed by the grandeur of the Imperial Forums. “Rome is more than a city, it is a living work of art,” the star told the mayor, who awarded him the Lupa Capitolina, the most important distinction of the city of Rome.
The protagonist of some legendary films – including The Godfather, for which he even studied the Sicilian accent – received her with emotion: “To be awarded here, in a place that has given so much to the world. culture, cinematography, beauty, is really emotional.” In addition, he added a personal note: “My family has roots in Italy, so this recognition has a special meaning for me.”
