Inside the pope's centuries-old summer retreat, a 135-acre estate overlooking an Italian lake
Pope Leo XIV is spending a three-week summer vacation at the historic papal estate in Castel Gandolfo, Italy. The 135-acre property features gardens, an observatory, and residential palaces used by popes since the 17th century.
Why it matters
It provides a rare look into the private life and historical residences of the Vatican leadership.
Pope Leo XIV at the Apostolic Palace in Castel Gandolfo, Italy. Simone Risoluti - Vatican Media via Vatican Pool/Getty Images Pope Leo XIV is on vacation at the papal summer residence in Castel Gandolfo, Italy. The 135-acre estate owned by the Holy See features multiple properties and gardens. Leo XIV is staying in Villa Barberini, a 17th-century palace with expansive gardens. Even popes need to take vacations. Beginning with Pope Urban VIII in 1626, some popes have chosen to escape the oppressive summer heat of Rome by spending time at the papal summer residence in Castel Gandolfo, Italy. The lakeside residence includes multiple properties and gardens situated on a 135-acre estate. The Vatican's Prefecture of the Papal Household said in a statement that Pope Leo XIV would spend "a period of rest" at the estate in July. Take a look inside the papal summer residence.
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