Pope Leo XIV has been welcomed by wellwishers upon his arrival to his summer residence in Castel Gandolfo, Italy, on Sunday.
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Crowds of people standing behind barriers greeted the Holy Father, taking photos and shouting “Viva Papa!” as he walked towards the papal palace located southeast of Rome.
The pope will reside in Castel Gandolfo’s Villa Barberini during his two-week summer vacation taking place from July 6–20, continuing a centuries-old papal tradition of rest at the 135-acre estate.
According to the New York Times, the property’s swimming pool has been refreshed and a new tennis court installed for the pope who is known for his appreciation of physical fitness and training.
Popes Pius XII, John XXIII, Paul VI, John Paul II, and Benedict XVI all spent at least part of the summers in Castel Gandolfo, following the Lateran Pact of 1929.
Pope Francis chose to not use the property as a summer residence during his 12-year pontificate. The late pontiff instead chose to open the estate’s gardens to the general public in 2014 and, in 2016, converted the papal palace into a museum.
The palace and gardens will remain open to the public during Leo’s stay, since he will be living in the Villa Barberini, a different palazzo on the grounds.
Castel Gandolfo mayor Alberto de Angelis told ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner, last month that Pope Leo’s stay “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,” Mayor de Angelis said.
Pope Leo will continue to deliver his weekly Angelus addresses Liberty Square (Piazza della Libertà) in front of the pontifical palace on July 13 and on July 20.
This article was originally published by CNA.
