On May 29, 2025, Pope Leo XIV made his first trip to Castel Gandolfo, the summer residence of the popes located about 30 kilometers (about 19 miles) south of Rome. He visited the Borgo Laudato si', a space dedicated to integral ecology. The parish priest and mayor of the small town told the press of their hope that the Pope would return frequently to the apostolic palace, which was not used by Pope Francis for summer holidays.
On Ascension Thursday, a public holiday in the Vatican but not in Italy, Leo XIV traveled to the Castelli Romani region to stroll through the gardens of the apostolic palace of Castel Gandolfo. Welcomed by the leaders of the Borgo Laudato Si' project, Cardinal Fabio Baggio and Father Manuel Dorantes, he stopped in the Garden of the Virgin Mary, “a refuge historically cherished by many popes over the centuries,” according to a statement released in the evening by the Holy See Press Office.
The Pope then visited the Belvedere Gardens, where he observed the final preparations for the Borgo Laudato Si'. This initiative was launched by Pope Francis in February 2023 and aims to promote “integral ecology,” that is, an ecology that cares for nature and human dignity. The estate, which covers 35 hectares (86 acres) of gardens and 20 hectares (50 acres) of farmland, has a rich ecosystem with more than 3,000 plants of 300 different species.
The Vatican said that the Pope also stopped near the archaeological ruins of the cryptoporticus of the Villa of Emperor Domitian.
“He was able to remember the courageous actions of Pope Pius XII, who in 1944 offered refuge to more than 12,000 people following the bombing of the Castelli Romani region during World War II,” the Holy See said.
The new pope concluded his trip with a visit to the Apostolic Palace and the Villa Barberini.
Hopes of seeing a pope return to Castel Gandolfo
Pope Leo XIV made no official statement. As he left, he waved from the window of his black vehicle to the dozens of people gathered outside the gates of the Apostolic Palace.
The mayor and parish priest of Castel Gandolfo expressed their joy at this surprise visit to the media outlet ADNKronos. “We hope he will resume the popes' tradition of visiting our town,” said the mayor, Alberto De Angelis.
Before Francis, the popes' summer residence allowed them to escape the suffocating summer heat of Rome. Pius XII died there in 1958 and Paul VI in 1978. John Paul II and Benedict XVI stayed there frequently, with the latter remaining there after his resignation from February to May 2013.
Pope Francis, on the other hand, never slept there and only visited in 2013, before the palace was converted into a museum open to tourists. Pope Leo XIV may decide to return to the residence this summer, just as he may return to the apartments in the Vatican Apostolic Palace, also abandoned by Francis for his 12 years and currently undergoing renovation.
