# Pope Francis Tour: Walk in His Footsteps in Argentina > Follow in the footsteps of Pope Francis in Buenos Aires: a walking tour that reveals the humble past and spiritual journey of the future pontiff. - URL: https://langandtrip.com.ua/en/article/ekskursiia-ridnymy-mistsiamy-papy-frantsyska-u-buenosairesi-rozkryvaie-ioho-skromne-mynule-ta-dukhovnyi-shliakh/ - Language: en - Published: 2024-03-04 - Categories: Culture, Historic Sites, Tours, Argentina, Food & Drinks, Events --- The Buenos Aires subway car on Line A is air-conditioned and brand new, just like its final stop at Flores. I'm sure it's pure coincidence that Pope Francis hails from Flores. It's because of the pontiff that I find myself standing at 3 in the afternoon outside the Basilica of San Jose, an 1880s church with a facade dressed in Corinthian pilasters and a striking Italian-style clock tower. It seems like a huge church for a modest middle-class parish, but in the 19th century Flores was home to wealthy landowners whose estates hosted political conferences and witnessed lavish parties. I'm here to join a walk through the pope's old haunts. Daniel Vega, a guide with a booming voice and crisp, clearly enunciated Spanish, greets me and three ladies from northern Argentina. Since this is Latin America, we spend the first 15 minutes getting to know one another. Our tour begins at the basilica because, as Daniel tells it, the 17-year-old Jorge Bergoglio, now known to the world as Pope Francis, had his revelation in that confessional on the left. ## Fleeing Fascism "It was September 1953, springtime," Vega says. "Jorge was on his way to meet his friends, who were waiting for him in the square. As he passed the basilica, he felt an urge to confess. He didn't hear voices, he didn't see visions, but that confession became a transcendent experience. He left with the firm conviction that he was meant to become a priest." And what about his friends? "He forgot all about them and went home." Outside, Vega fills us in on the backstory: how the Bergoglio family owned a confectionery shop in Portacomaro, Italy. How they set sail for Argentina aboard the steamship Giulio Cesare in January 1929 to escape Benito Mussolini's fascist regime. Daniel adds that delays in selling their shop caused them to miss the earlier voyage of the Principessa Mafalda. That ship sank in October 1927 off the coast of Brazil, claiming 314 lives. True or not, this apparent act of divine providence has already found its way into local folklore. ## Papal Ice Cream and Pizza ![](/storage/image/prev/july-article-image-76-1-2024.jpg) The pope's popularity has been a boon to local businesses. In front of us stands a pizzeria cheekily named "Habemus Pizza y Pasta," a play on the traditional "Habemus Papam" announcement made after a pope is elected. A team of Argentine gelato makers has already presented His Holiness with a flavor of his very own: vanilla with lemon, in the traditional colors of the papacy, white and yellow. We pause outside a white single-story house at Calle Varela 268. Bars cover the windows, and a set of double outer doors opens onto two separate apartments. Everything looks perfectly ordinary, except for the plaque: "Pope Francis was born here." Until October 2014, a different address on Calle Membrillar was thought to be the pope's childhood home. In fact, when this tour first started, Pope Francis asked, "Which house do they visit?" When pressed on what he meant, he waved it off: "Let the poor neighbors live in peace." But not anymore. This address was uncovered by historian Daniel Vargas, who dug up the pope's birth certificate and sent a copy to the Vatican. Imagine his shock when his office phone rang: Pope Francis wanted to talk. It was confirmation. Little Jorge Bergoglio spent the first five years of his life here. ## A Love Letter ![](/storage/image/prev/july-article-image-76-2-2024.jpg) It was only when the family grew that they moved to a larger house on Calle Membrillar. There's no doubt about our next stop, a few blocks to the south. A bright red exterior announces the Pedro Antonio Cervino school, the coeducational primary school that Pope Francis attended. The overwhelming quiet is a reminder that it's currently the summer holidays. After Cardinal Bergoglio was elected pope, an elderly woman from the neighborhood claimed she had been his childhood sweetheart. "He wrote me a love letter," she insisted. "And he said that if I didn't marry him, he'd become a priest!" The media demanded to see the letter. "When my father saw it, he tore it to pieces," she said. "We were only 12 years old!" Further south, the neighborhood grows more residential. A light breeze hits our faces as we climb the hill. We pass a handful of freshly painted colonial-style houses with well-kept courtyards. The pope's father was an accountant and lived comfortably. At Membrillar 531 we find the house where Jorge Bergoglio spent his youth. As a landmark of the pope's past, it's a real letdown, because it has been completely rebuilt. The Buenos Aires tourism board must have been thrilled when a more photogenic residence turned up on Varela. ## Football Saints and a Kindergarten ![](/storage/image/prev/july-article-image-76-3-2024.jpg) Across the way is a square where Pope Francis played football as a child. He's still a member of his local club, San Lorenzo de Almagro (nickname: the Saints). After his election, San Lorenzo wore his image on their shirts in their next match. They won 1-0 after their opponents scored an own goal. No one here doubts it was a miracle. The final stop, blessed by the presence of Pope Francis, is a kindergarten at Misericordia College. It was here that he received his first communion and learned to count to 10 by hopping up the entrance steps. "He came back to the college later as Archbishop of Buenos Aires," Vega says. "They still remember how he helped wash the dishes." It's probably memories like these that explain why Pope Francis has a tour of his own.