Why is Pope Leo’s visit to Castel Gandolfo significant to the Catholic community?

The Pope will reside in the Villa Barberini during his two-week summer vacation till July 20. On July 13 and July 20, he will celebrate Mass in a church and cathedral nearby, and deliver the Sunday Angelus messages from the Piazza della Libertà (Liberty Square) in front of the pontifical palace. He will return to the town again for three days in August, delivering the Angelus on August 15 and 17 during the Ferragosto, Italy’s national holiday for the Feast of Assumption, CNN reported.

The cool hilltop region has been a summer retreat for popes for centuries, with Popes Pius XII, John XXIII, Paul VI, John Paul II and Benedict XVI spending part of the summers here. However, Pope Francis, the 266th pope of the Catholic tradition and Leo’s predecessor, last visited the place in 2013.

Pope Leo’s decision to revive the practice by coming to the town has drawn both attention and praise from the Catholic community. Here is what to know.

Castel Gandolfo, the “second Vatican City”

Castel Gandolfo is a 135-acre pontifical estate situated 25 kilometres southeast of Rome. It features several properties, lush gardens, a working farm and the historical Vatican Observatory. The New York Times reported that a tennis court had been installed on the property in honour of the pope’s love for the sport.

The town provided shelter for Jewish refugees during World War II, and was also the setting for the movie, “The Two Popes”, CNN reported.

The tradition of popes summering in the Palace of Castel Gandolfo dates back to the 17th century when Pope Urban VIII first designated the palace as a papal retreat. Over the years, it became a cherished custom, offering a respite from Rome’s heat while allowing them to continue their duties in a more serene setting over a lake.

Over the years, several popes have sought the town for their summer retreat, occasionally welcoming important visitors and basking in the quiet atmosphere, reading, taking walks, or even swimming. The last pope to reside at Castele Gandolfo was Pope Benedict XVI, who visited the town after resigning in 2013 and delivered his final public appearance as pope from the balcony here.

“Since 1628, the popes have lived in Castel Gandolfo. Some more, some less, but their presence has been constant. This is a city accustomed to the daily life of the pope,” Mayor Alberto de Angelis told ACI Prensa, the Catholic News Agency’s Spanish sister agency, in June.

However, Pope Francis departed from this tradition, choosing instead to stay in Vatican City, where he could maintain his austere lifestyle and focus on administrative reforms. He converted the papal palace into a museum in 2016, having opened its grounds to the public two years earlier. The gardens were part of his “Borgo Laudato Si” program aiming to promote environmental conservation. The move reportedly boosted tourism to the town, with over 200,000 people visiting in 2023, according to the Vatican.

The significance of Pope Leo’s stay in Castel Gandolfo 

Pope Francis’s decision not to use the Castel Gandolfo as a summer retreat was controversial. His rejection of traditional practices of the Catholic church, including the use of Castel Gandolfo, was seen by some as a necessary modernisation, while others felt it weakened the Church’s connection to its heritage. A resident of the town, Maurizio Carosi, conveyed his dissatisfaction with Pope Francis, saying, “We were orphaned,” in an interview with The NYT.

Pope Leo’s decision to return to the summer residence signals a shift, one that balances continuity with reform. For many Catholics, the revival of this tradition is a symbolic gesture, reaffirming the importance of papal history while allowing Pope Leo to engage with the faithful in a different setting.

While the local residents are overjoyed at the papal presence, Pope Leo’s visit could significantly boost tourism. The town has a population of 8,900 and is heavily dependent on tourism. The prospect of public prayer with the pope in the piazza, a relatively more intimate setting than the pope’s balcony in the Vatican, is expected to be a huge draw.

“What was missing in these 12 years was the global visibility that the pope gives Castel Gandolfo when he recites the Angelus,” Stefano Carosi, Maurizio’s brother, told The NYT.

Pope Leo will continue his predecessor’s tradition and allow public access to the gardens and the palace while residing in the Villa Barbarini, a separate property on the grounds. On Wednesday (July 9), the pope will oversee a private mass with the staff of the Borgo Laudato Si project “for the care of creation” using special new texts and prayers released by the Vatican on July 3.

Pope Leo’s choice may be interpreted as a subtle recalibration within the Church, honouring tradition without rejecting progress. While Francis emphasised a more decentralised, humble papacy, Leo appears to be embracing the Church’s historical identity while still addressing contemporary challenges.

Pope Francis “did a lot for the city, opening the doors of the papal residence and the gardens… But now, Leo XIV will give back to the city its daily connection with the pope: the Angelus, the visits, the contact with the people. We want to experience all of that again,” de Angelis told ACI Prensa.