Look at this bread. It may just look like one of the many oven-baked loaves that can be found in Rome, but this one has a special name: the welcome bread. The association of bakers in the Italian capital has prepared it especially for the pilgrims who have come for the Jubilee of Mercy.
DINO BARTOCCI
President, Artisans from Rome
'It all started a few years ago when some bakers from Rome started to make the same recipe, consisting of a mixture of three types of flour; we call it the bread of Rome. Over time, new trends have emerged, changed, and we have switched these three flours with others that are new, less treated, and ground by stone on the premise.â?
In addition to new types of flour, the bread consists of 30 grams of dried sourdough, 10 grams of salt, 10 grams of sugar and 300 grams of warm water.
However, what really sets this bread apart from the rest is the Franciscan cross that can be found on top.
Still, mercy goes far beyond this. One can practice taking initative by paying for something at a store or bar for someone who is in need.
DINO BARTOCCI
President, Artisans from Rome
'We based this on something they created in Naples, the famous 'coffee in advance' or 'pre-paid coffee.' Anyone who wants to can buy a loaf of bread and then give it to a pilgrim who has come to Rome for this important event. I think it's a gesture of generosity and brotherhood.'
The initiative has been joined by total of thirty bakeries in the Eternal City that offer their Jubilee bread for a price ranging between 4 and 5 euros. Because the bread is so symbolic in the Church, it truly cannot be missed out on during this Holy Year.
IPC/MP
CTV
-SV
-PR
-IPC
