Pope begins vacation at summer residence Castel Gandolfo

On the next two Sundays, he plans to offer his midday prayer in the village square in front of the Papal Palace. Masses are also planned in the neighboring parish of San Tommaso da Villanova in Castel Gandolfo (July 13) and in the Cathedral of Albano (July 20).

General audiences will not take place again until July 30.

Leo plans to hold the next midday prayer in St. Peter's Square on July 27. The weekly general audiences will not take place again until Wednesday, July 30. The Pope will also spend the long weekend of the traditional Roman midsummer holiday, "Ferragosto" (Assumption of Mary), in Castel Gandolfo. On Friday, August 15, he will celebrate Mass in the parish church there and return to Rome after the Angelus on Sunday, August 17, according to the statement.

Since the early 17th century, Castel Gandolfo has been used by the popes as a summer residence, where the church leaders spent three to four months of the year. The estate includes two palaces and park-like grounds, as well as agricultural land and buildings. Rumor has it that Leo XIV stayed at the Villa Barberini, which was recently renovated.

Most recently, John Paul II (1978-2005) and Benedict XVI (2005-2013) repeatedly retreated to the 426-meter-high complex. Pope Francis, on the other hand, preferred to stay in the Vatican even in the summer and simply reduced his workload. He had the central papal palace converted into a museum in 2016 and established an ecology college called "Borgo Laudato si" in the 55-hectare park in February 2023, inspired by the encyclical "Laudato si." It attracts thousands of visitors every year.

Castel Gandolfo, a municipality with 8,500 inhabitants, is delighted that a pope is once again vacationing in the village. The new pontiff's presence will attract believers and media representatives to the town, which restaurant owners and souvenir shops hope will boost business.