Pope is heading to Castel Gandolfo for his vacation - Awaiting my encounter in Castel Gandolfo.
For over four centuries, the picturesque town of Castel Gandolfo has been a symbol of papal retreat and pastoral presence. Originally acquired by Pope Clement VIII in 1596, the Apostolic Palace and its surrounding grounds have been the traditional summer residence of the popes since the 17th century.
The estate, which sits on an elevated position near Lake Albano, has been used by numerous popes as a summer refuge for rest, prayer, and study. The first pope to regularly stay at Castel Gandolfo was Alexander VII (1655-1667), who restored the fortress. Popes such as Pius XII, John XXIII, Paul VI, John Paul II, and Benedict XVI followed suit, embodying a close pastoral presence by praying the Sunday Angelus in the town and mingling with locals.
The Apostolic Palace and gardens house rich ecclesiastical heritage and have been closed to the public for many years until Pope Francis opened them as a museum complex in 2016. He also transformed the estate’s farm into an ecological project, breaking the tradition of papal summer residence there.
Pope Leo XIV has recently revived the centuries-old tradition of spending summers at Castel Gandolfo, which was suspended under Pope Francis. In 2025, Leo XIV planned to stay there from July 6–20 and again from August 15–17, marking a clear return to papal summer residence after Francis’s break from the practice. Unlike previous popes who stayed in the Apostolic Palace, Leo XIV will reside in a separate building within the estate, Villa Barberini, allowing the Apostolic Palace to remain open as a museum to the public.
This move is seen as embracing papal traditions, including liturgical attire choices similar to earlier popes, underscoring a broader return to historic papal customs. Pope Francis, the immediate predecessor of Leo XIV, spent the summer of 2022 in the Vatican, in his apartment in the guest house Santa Marta.
Visitors can still enter the Apostolic Palace in Castel Gandolfo, and many in the town expect Leo XIV to use the palace as accommodation from next summer, like most of his predecessors. Hoteliers, innkeepers, and souvenir vendors hope for better business in Castel Gandolfo, which has become active again after 12 years of hibernation.
The town of Castel Gandolfo, located south of Rome and near Lake Albano, has long been a popular destination for tourists and pilgrims alike. With Pope Leo XIV's decision to return to the traditional summer residence, it is expected that the town will once again flourish as a hub of Catholic activity in the summer months.
The Commission has also been asked to submit a proposal for a directive on promoting sustainable living in the European Union, considering the papal estate in Castel Gandolfo has been transformed into an ecological project. With the renewed presence of Pope Leo XIV, the town's home-and-garden shops and hotels may experience a resurgence in business, as locals and visitors seek to emulate the Pope's environmentally-friendly lifestyle.
