McDonald's Opens Location Near Solemnity of Vatican City

McDonald’s, that place that sells cheap burgers that make you sleepy, now has a location next to the Vatican, a place that holds mass that only sometimes makes you sleepy.

As The New York Times reports, you can now atone for a Big Mac attack conveniently, because a McDonald’s has opened just near Rome’s Vatican.

Previously, TravelPulse had reported that a possible McDonald’s location was nixed in Florence at the famed Piazza del Duomo. There was no such luck for those hoping to stave off a delicious dish of commercial enterprise just near the spot many Catholics come to reflect and pay homage to their religion.

While many will take umbrage with the thought of chowing down on chicken nuggets and quarter pounders just steps away from a place that demands so much reverence, others will champion the ability to grab a quick bite while touring an iconic portion of the world.

For the latter folks, we inform you that you can order food accordingly at the corner of Borgo Pio and Via del Mascherino, according to the NY Times.

From the looks of it, McDonald’s did its best to blend in with the local architecture, and early returns show it doesn’t look as out of place as you may have previously thought.

McDonalds around corner from St Peter's sq, open for business in Vatican-owned building, despite resident protests pic.twitter.com/MW6JYVNNrJ

— Sylvia Poggioli (@spoggioli1) December 31, 2016

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Among those to take offense to the location is Cardinal Elio Sgreccia who tells La Repubblica the following, via the NY Times: “(The location is) not at all respectful of the architectural and urban traditions of one of the most characteristic squares overlooking the colonnade of St. Peter.”

It also runs counter, according to the cardinal, to the culinary culture of the area as well as the health of its locals. Still, officials are not about to turn away lucrative cash flow regardless of how it might infuse a solemn area with commercialism. The report also states that a Hard Rock Café is coming to the area, replacing a location that previously housed a religious bookstore.

Hopefully, this is but a passing trend, but to be on the safe side, you might want to visit the Vatican before it resembles the Vegas Strip.

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