Vacations are upcoming for everyone, including Pope Leo XIV. The Pope has resumed the tradition of spending the summer in Castel Gandolfo, a town about 25 kilometers from Rome where he will stay until the end of July.
The Pope will not be staying in the Apostolic Palace, which Pope Francis converted into a museum in 2016, but will instead rest in this residence.
It is Villa Barberini, the place where the Secretary of State and the Prefect of the Papal Household used to stay. That is why it has been renovated in recent weeks for the arrival of the new pope.
Castel Gandolfo is a stand-out location, particuarly due to its crystal-clear lake, which occupies the crater of an ancient active volcano.
But Pope Leo XIV apparently will not be able to see the lake directly from his room. Some locals are saying that his bedroom will face the interior for security reasons, as the villa directly overlooks the street.
In fact, Vatican sources noted that they have renovated both the Swiss Guard and Gendarmerie barracks. It has been so long since a pope visited that their current condition has received an upgrade.
The town's residents are not surprised that Pope Leo XIV decided to return to Castel Gandolfo. They describe it as the perfect place to unwind.
MARIO PASTRANA
Castel Gandolfo is just so beautiful, it's so reserved, it's next to a lake. I don´t know… if you haven't been here, I really recommend. You can see miles and miles of a beautiful lake. It's fresh and it appears so nice, and all the people are really great so… it's much calmer than Rome, it's like everything is in slow-motion; it's a really good place to relax. I think sometimes a Pope needs to unwind a little bit, to get away. I mean, he's a person just like everybody else, so he needs a little place to go on vacation, and this is the best place to do that.
The Pope will also be able to take advantage of the opportunity to play sports. The gardens feature a tennis court. He will also be able to use the indoor pool commissioned by Pope John Paul II.
With the return of a pope to Castel Gandolfo, one could say that this small town has regained its traditional nickname: it is, once again, the second Vatican.
BAM
TR: GS
