Our Story
Our family’s origin story revolves around the history of the Eternal City. It is a story of faith and determination that keeps running through our veins as we continue welcoming countless pilgrims on St. Peter’s Square.
This is us, 120 years ago. Lorenzo Savelli is the fascinating seated man, with Luigi leaning on his knee (boy on the right).
1898 — The inception
Former Palatine guard, Lorenzo Savelli Sr opened a tiny religious store at the Vatican in preparation for the Jubilee of 1900. The one thing he wanted most was to provide every pilgrim visiting the Holy See with the possibility to take home a keepsake from that once-in-a-lifetime experience.
This is how the Savelli store looked like back then.
1929 — The second generation
Years later, it was Luigi’s turn to lead the family business. One of Lorenzo’s fifteen children, he moved the original Savelli store in front of Bernini’s colonnade. He consolidated our presence in the life of Saint Peter’s Square and paved the way for new inspiring adventures yet to come.
Luigi, just like his father years before, posing with his children. (Keep the blond toddler in mind)
The 1960s — A step forward
A turning point in the history of our store occurred when the founder’s namesake grandson, Lorenzo, took up the reins of the house together with his talented wife, Rosanna. They transformed the tiny family store into a company dedicated to the sale of religious articles and to the promotion of the art of mosaics.
Lorenzo Jr (the little blond toddler in the previous photo) on honeymoon with his beautiful wife, Rosanna.
The 2000s - In the founder’s footsteps
Lorenzo and Rosanna’s three children — Alessandra, Luigi, and Pietro — lead the way for other store openings in the vicinity of the Holy See. Just like their great-grandfather did a century earlier, they opened the doors of a new Savelli store for the Jubilee 2000 and continue to run the company nowadays side by side.
Lorenzo and Rosanna with their three children — Pietro (on the left), Alessandra and Luigi.
It is worth mentioning that the family’s long-standing passion for the art of Roman micro mosaic, started by Lorenzo and cultivated by his children, blossomed into a one-of-a-kind private collection, Ars Antiqua Savelli, whose masterpieces were put to display at Rome's Napoleonic Museum.
Ars Antiqua Savelli at the "Museo Napoleonico di Roma".
The 2010s — Going digital
We continuously try to make the most of the experience of older generations and to trust the guts of the younger ones. A few years ago, a brand-new Savelli digital flagship was launched on the initiative of Alessandra’s elder daughter, Valentina. Her idea was to take the original mission behind Savelli to a whole new level. The purpose of Savelli’s website is then to enable anyone to get a blessed item from the Vatican, regardless of where they live.
Clockwise: Luigi, Alessandra, Lorenzo, and Pietro.
2018 - Looking back, moving forward.
Who we are today is no question a result of our spiritual legacy and loyalty to the values of our ancestors. Both as a family and company, our mission was, is, and will always be that of creating a positive impact on people and championing Italian craftsmanship.
Faith has the ability to regenerate, inspire, and provide that all-important feeling of fulfillment, which helped shape who we are today. We have evolved and transformed, but the spirit of what began more than 120 years ago still endures today. We hope that the tradition of offering durable, handcrafted religious articles and mosaics that has been passed down through 5 generations will continue to bring joy to people of faith worldwide.