On an official visit to Italy where he was received by Pope Francis at the Vatican, Emmanuel Macron granted himself a little bucolic moment with his wife Brigitte. The couple walked the cobblestones of Rome with a private tour of the Palatine Hill on October 24, 2022, on the sidelines of this transalpine trip. Very accomplices and hand in hand, the lovers of the Elysée took advantage of the majestic setting of the Italian capital to treat themselves to a rare moment of relaxation. To make the most of the walk, the first lady of France chose to wear beige sneakers.
The comfortable shoes of the mother of Laurence, Sébastien and Tiphaine Auzière are reminiscent of those she had worn in London, when she traveled to England for the state funeral organized for Elizabeth II last September. Shoes that had caused controversy after some suggested that she wore them to go inside Westminster, when she had put them on only to walk the streets of London with her husband. Same thing in Italy, if it were more casual in the Roman alleys, she displayed an irreproachable outfit in front of the Pope.
Private Audience with the Pope
Their little romantic trip on the sidelines of Emmanuel Macron’s official trip was short-lived, the President of the Republic having a busy schedule during his Italian trip. Accompanied by his wife, the French head of state was received at the Apostolic Palace which adjoins Saint Peter’s Basilica in Rome for a private audience which lasted 55 minutes.
According to the Elysée, the head-to-head mainly focused on the international situation and more particularly on Ukraine. The French President spoke of a need to “religious dialogue” and the “role” that the Catholic Church can play, in line with its speech on peace on Sunday. “USpecial attention was also given to the Caucasus region, the Middle East and Africa“, the Vatican said in a statement.
The two men appeared smiling, Emmanuel Macron familiar with the sovereign pontiff as he had done in 2021. They then engaged in the traditional exchange of gifts. The pope presented the French president with a bronze medal depicting St. Peter’s Square. The French leader gave him an edition of the Perpetual Peace Project of Immanuel Kant dating from 1796.”pray for me“asked the pope, greeting the Macron couple.”I pray for you everyday“, replied Brigitte Macron.
At the end of this head-to-head, the 85-year-old Argentine pontiff exchanged for about fifteen minutes with the French delegation. This is the third papal audience for Emmanuel Macron, after those of June 2018 and November 2021. It was followed by an interview with the number two of the Holy See, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, as well as with the ” Pope’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Paul Gallagher.