Future looks bright for historic Rome bar

The widely-publicised threat of eviction hanging over Caffé della Pace has now been averted after an agreement was reached with the landlord of the historic premises, the Pontifical Teutonic Institute.

Following a meeting with city councillors, the German religious institute on nearby Via di S. Maria dell'Anima released a statement saying it is willing to recognise "the historical value of the business."

The last minute stay of execution follows a high-profile battle to save the bar which over the years has attracted celebrities from Federico Fellini to Bill Clinton, Al Pacino to Madonna.

The campaign was helped originally by the Botteghe Storiche association but the mounting publicity in recent times saw thousands of supporters sign a petition to halt the eviction, before the case was eventually taken up at the city council.

The threat of eviction had loomed over the bar since 2009 when the religious institution failed to renew the lease, leading to a series of court disputes between the landlord and the family that has run the bar for over 40 years.

It had been reported that the religious institute planned to turn the premises into a five-star hotel.