Pope Leo XIV revives historic papal tradition with summer stay in Castel Gandolfo

While Pope Leo is reviving the tradition, he is not staying in the historic palace itself, which dates back to 1596. Instead, he is staying in the nearby Villa Barberini. The villa features a terrace with views of Lake Albano and sits within gardens built on the site of an ancient Roman villa.

Pope Leo XIV arrives at the papal summer residence in Castel Gandolfo, south of Rome, for a six-week vacation. (AP)

The Vatican said the pope’s time in Castel Gandolfo is mainly for rest. However, he may use the swimming pool added by Pope John Paul II or visit the local tennis club, as he enjoys playing the sport.

During his stay, Pope Leo will also take part in public worship. On 13 and 20 July, and again on 15 August, he will celebrate Mass and lead the Sunday Angelus prayer from the town’s main square. CNN noted that these events give people the chance to see the pope more closely than they could in St Peter’s Square.

The mayor of Castel Gandolfo, Alberto de Angelis, told CNN the pope’s visit is an “important sign of affection, gratitude and recognition” for the town. He added that the visit is expected to support local tourism and businesses, which include shops, restaurants and a well-known mosaic workshop. “We hope that he doesn’t stay only on his property but that he comes to visit the town, comes to find his shopkeepers, his fellow citizens, that he comes to eat with us,” de Angelis said.

Pope Leo XIV arrives at the papal summer residence in Castel Gandolfo, south of Rome, for a six-week vacation. (AP)

On 9 July, Pope Leo will celebrate a private Mass with workers from the Vatican’s ecology project, “Borgo Laudato Si’,” which promotes care for creation. New prayers and texts for the Mass were released by the Vatican earlier this month.

Locals hope that the pope’s visit will help promote sustainable tourism in the area. Valentina Biagini, a local resident and environmental consultant, told CNN that too many visitors at once could damage the area. “It would be best if in the future we would be able to have sustainable tourism,” she said.

Pope Leo visited the Villa Barberini ahead of his stay to check on preparations. Though he will take part in services and some public events, he is expected to spend most of his time resting away from public view.