One of Rome’s most famous tourist souvenirs — the so-called “Sexy Priest” calendar — has taken an unexpected turn after the man featured on its cover revealed he has never actually been a priest.
The popular Calendario Romano calendar, commonly sold near churches and newspaper stands across Rome, has become a must-buy keepsake for tourists visiting the Italian capital.
Priced at around 10 euros (approximately RM51), the calendar is known for featuring handsome young men dressed in Catholic priest outfits, with one smiling face appearing on the cover for years and earning the nickname “Sexy Priest” among fans.
Now, the man behind the famous image has finally spoken out.
In an interview with Rome-based newspaper Repubblica, 39-year-old Giovanni Galizia revealed that he is actually a flight attendant instructor — not a member of the clergy.
Galizia explained that the iconic photo was taken when he was just 17 years old after a photographer invited him to participate in a playful photoshoot featuring Italian cultural themes.
According to him, the photographer wanted to represent different Italian cities through symbolic characters, such as gondoliers for Venice and priests for Rome.
“All the clothing and props were prepared by the photographer,” Galizia said, adding that he only joined the shoot for fun.
Despite being widely labelled the “Sexy Priest”, Galizia admitted he never understood the title.
“I honestly don’t see anything sexy about the photo,” he said. “There’s nothing provocative about it at all.”
Adding to the surprise, Galizia revealed that the famous “Roman priest” image was not even taken in Rome, but in Palermo, Sicily.
Although his face has appeared on the calendar for over two decades — including upcoming 2027 editions — Galizia said he has never earned a single cent from the image’s continued popularity.
“I can guarantee that I was never a priest,” he joked, adding that the men featured in other months of the calendar might not be real priests either.
Despite becoming an accidental tourism icon in Rome, Galizia said he still lives mostly anonymously outside the city.
However, whenever friends visit Rome, they almost always send him photos of the calendar still being sold in shops more than 23 years after the original shoot.
