The hilltop town where Pope Leo XIV is staying cool on his summer vacation
For centuries popes have spent their summers in the papal palace and gardens of Castel Gandolfo, a town nestled in the hills above Lake Albano. The small town, approximately 15 miles southeast of Rome, is 1,400 feet above sea level and provides an escape from the sweltering summer heat of the Eternal City.
This is where the first American pope is going to spend two weeks this month, having arrived on Sunday, before returning for several days over the Feast of the Assumption on August 15, which is Italy's national holiday of Ferragosto.
During the Second World War, the papal summer residence provided refuge for Jewish refugees and more recently was the setting for 'The Two Popes,' the Netflix movie that explores the differing visions for the church's future of Benedict XVI and his successor Francis.
It's a peaceful oasis that offers majestic views over the deep blue lake with those visiting the area overlooking Albano sometimes calling it an anticamera del paradiso — an antechamber of paradise.
By going to Castel Gandolfo, Leo is reviving a tradition of popes leaving the Vatican to take a summer break, which had been suspended by Francis. Leo's predecessor never took a vacation outside of the Vatican and instead opted for a staycation in his Casa Santa Marta residence.
Francis turned Castel Gandolfo into a museum and opened its gardens to the public. Visitors to the palace start their tour with a courtyard display of old popemobiles and other vehicles used by the popes, while inside they can peek at the papal bedroom, study and chapel. The last pontiff to use the palace was Benedict XVI who came to Castel Gandolfo after his 2013 resignation, making his final public appearance as pope from the balcony.
While Leo is reviving a tradition, he is not turning the clock back. He won't be staying in the palace (acquired in 1596 and featuring its own Renaissance-style gardens) but at the Villa Barberini, which has a terrace that overlooks Lake Albano. It is located in gardens created around the ruins of former Roman Emperor Domitian's first-century villa. While the Vatican has said Leo's time in Castel Gandolfo is an opportunity to rest, he could make use of a swimming pool installed by Pope John Paul II or, as a keen tennis player, go to the Tennis Club of Castel Gandolfo nearby.
The town's 8,900 residents rely heavily on tourism so having the pope come and stay is seen as helping the local economy by attracting visitors. During Francis' papacy, some residents felt bereft without the pope and said they missed out on the economic and social benefits of the papal presence.
On July 13 and 20, Leo XIV will celebrate Mass in a cathedral and a church nearby, and then lead the Sunday Angelus prayer from the town's central piazza. He'll do the same on August 15. The moments of public prayer in the more intimate setting of the piazza offer an opportunity for people to have a closer encounter with the pope than when he leads the Angelus from the balcony of the Vatican's apostolic palace.
The mayor of Castel Gandolfo, Alberto de Angelis, described Pope Leo's stay as an 'important sign of affection, gratitude and recognition' for the town and its residents. He told CNN the area would feel the benefit of tourism and 'all commercial activities.' The main square is surrounded by cafes and souvenir shops while the town has plenty of restaurants and a popular mosaic workshop and store, La Musa Mosaici.
'We hope that he [Leo] 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,' the mayor said.
De Angelis pointed out that Castel Gandolfo is a 'Vatican Two' — a stand in for the ecclesiastical city — which is used to welcoming people from across the world. While he prefers it when popes come on vacation, he said Francis' decision to open the papal palace and gardens brought a boost to the local economy and tourism.
The Vatican's Castel Gandolfo estate includes 135 acres of both farmland and gardens, and is also home to the historical Vatican observatory, which specializes in astronomical research. Francis wanted the Vatican gardens to promote care for the environment through 'Borgo Laudato Si',' a project named after the late pope's encyclical on protecting the planet.
Leo is building on this commitment. On July 9, while in Castel Gandolfo, he will celebrate a private Mass with staff at the ecology project 'for the care of creation' using special new texts and prayers released for use in the Church by the Vatican on July 3.
The Vatican is not the only entity involved in ecological work in the town. Valentina Biagini, a Castel Gandolfo resident and environmental and sustainability consultant, has been involved in establishing a sustainability center by Lake Albano that includes a bistro serving plant-based cuisine. She hopes that the pope's visit doesn't lead to a large one-off influx of visitors.
'It's important that there aren't too many people all at the same time,' she told CNN. 'It would be best if in the future we would be able to have sustainable tourism as well, which means not [too] many people all together.'
Three days before departing, Leo, who is already known for his methodical style, paid a visit to Castel Gandolfo to check on the Villa Barberini, where Vatican staff had been preparing for his stay in recent days. Aside from leading services, the pope is expected to spend much of his time out of public sight during his time on vacation.
Along with environmental efforts and attracting tourism to the town, the pope's time away from the Vatican also sends a message to a fast-paced world of hyper-activity: everyone, even the pope, needs a break.
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