Once again, on Monday evening, September 22, 2025, Leo XIV traveled to Castel Gandolfo, to spend his weekly "day off" at the summer papal residence. With this break in the countryside for the third consecutive week, Leo XIV is signaling a routine of settling down every Tuesday — the popes' day of rest — away from the bustle of the Vatican.
As on Tuesday, September 9, and Tuesday, September 16, the Holy Father is continuing his activities in this area of the Castelli Romani region before returning to the Vatican on Tuesday evening, according to the Holy See Press Office.
The green setting at Villa Barberini includes a tennis court, garden walks, and a swimming pool.
Shedding the "papal outfit"
On August 15, the Pope's brother, John Prevost, said in an interview with NBC Chicago that Leo XIV's rest days in Castel Gandolfo would become "a permanent thing" of this pontificate.
“ ... they’re going to try to do it more often because it just is relaxing and away from the crowd — away from the grind, so to speak,” Prevost said. “There really is an opportunity to relax, and he doesn’t have to be dressed in his papal outfit all the time.”
While Francis did not generally take breaks away from the Vatican, Leo XIV is not the first pope to leave the Apostolic Palace on Tuesdays, traditionally considered the pontiffs' weekly day of rest. During the early days of his pontificate, John Paul II used to go on mountain excursions on Tuesdays.
