Italy’s 2025 Google Search Trends Reflect a year of Loss, Conflict, and musical Triumph
Analysis of Google search data in Italy for 2025 reveals a year heavily marked by significant global events and cultural moments, especially the passing of Pope Francis, ongoing tensions in the Middle East, and the rising popularity of singer Lucio Corsi.
The death of pope Francis on April 21st, 2025, dominated online interest, triggering a surge in searches and drawing international attention to rome amidst a complex geopolitical landscape. This event was part of a broader trend of farewells that resonated with Italian internet users, including searches related to the deaths of television personality Pippo Baudo, fashion icon Giorgio Armani, actor Robert Redford, the Kessler twins, and actress Eleonora Giorgi.
Alongside these losses, the ongoing crisis in the Middle East fueled significant search activity. Queries such as “why did israel attack Iran and gaza?” were prominent, reflecting a deep public concern with the region’s instability. The subsequent election of Pope Leo XIV also sparked considerable interest, with many asking “why Leo XIV?” following the passing of his predecessor.
Beyond news and loss, the cultural landscape of Italy was also reflected in the year’s top searches. Lucio Corsi, who placed second in the Sanremo Festival with his song “I wanted to be a tough guy,” experienced a massive surge in online interest, topping the list of trending characters and songs. Other popular figures from the music and sports worlds included Sanremo winner Olly, tennis players Lorenzo Musetti and Jasmine Paolini, and model Bianca Balti, who publicly shared her health struggles.
Other notable search trends included interest in the film “Conclave,” released prior to Pope Francis’ death, the TV series “Monster: The Ed Gein Story,” and the Neapolitan recipe for casatiello. Searches also revealed a curious spike in queries regarding the definition of “paraphilia” and data about the “separation of careers” related to an upcoming Italian justice reform referendum. searches related to the Los Angeles wildfires, the imprisonment of Nicolas Sarkozy, and the arrest (and subsequent release) of Italian journalist Cecilia Sala in Tehran also registered prominently.
