Discover how 17th-century Rome reveals a clever behavioural insight still relevant for change initiatives today.

In Episode 255 of Anecdotally Speaking, Mark shares a story from his recent travels in Italy about a lesser-known bit of oral history from Rome’s Piazza Navona. Learn how the influential Pamphili family allegedly redirected churchgoers using a simple behavioural incentive.
Mark and Shawn unpack how this story, whether fact or folklore, offers a memorable example of influencing behaviour without confrontation. It’s a perfect story for illustrating change management, behaviour design, or influence strategies in a business setting.
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Tags: Behaviour Change, Storytelling, Change Management, Influence, Incentives, Rome
This story starts at 1:46
In 17th-century Rome, Piazza Navona was transformed into a showcase of power and beauty by the influential Pamphili family. At the centre of this transformation stood a striking Baroque church—Sant’Agnese in Agone—commissioned by Giovanni Battista Pamphili, who would later become Pope Innocent X. It was a grand, ornate space designed to impress, and the Pamphili family wanted to maintain a certain level of exclusivity within its walls.
However, churches in Rome were open to everyone, rich or poor. The family couldn’t legally prevent the city’s less fortunate residents from entering. So, according to oral tradition, they found a more subtle way to influence behaviour.
On the opposite side of the piazza sat a much smaller and simpler church, Our Lady of the Sacred Heart. The Pamphilis had this church renovated and, crucially, began offering food inside. This simple act encouraged the poor to gather there instead, drawn by the promise of a meal. Without issuing rules or creating conflict, the Pamphili family redirected the flow of people, preserving the atmosphere they wanted in their grander church.
Though not recorded in official histories, this local story is widely shared in Rome and offers a powerful insight into human behaviour: when you want to change people’s actions, sometimes the best strategy is to attract them to something new rather than force them away from something old.