Photos show Castel Gandolfo, the 135-acre Italian estate where the pope takes summer vacation

Even popes need to take vacations.

Beginning with Pope Urban VIII in 1626, some popes have chosen to escape the oppressive summer heat ofRome 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.

In a statement released by the Vatican, Pope Leo XIV said he would spend “a brief period of rest” at the estate in July.

“I wish everyone the opportunity to enjoy a time of vacation to refresh both body and spirit,” he said.

Take a look inside the papal summer residence.

Pope Leo XIV is spending two weeks at the papal summer residence in Castel Gandolfo, Italy.

Leo XIV arrived on July 6 and will stay at the residence until July 20. He will return for another brief stay in August,Vatican News reported.

Located 16 miles from Rome, the papal summer residence is situated in the Alban Hills overlooking Lake Albano.

The estate features gardens, an observatory, and a newly built tennis court in addition to several residential properties.

The Apostolic Palace is located in Castel Gandolfo’s main square.

The palace was built on the ruins of an ancient Roman emperor’s villa and became part of the Holy See in 1604.

Also known as the Papal Palace, it features ornate sitting rooms and residential areas for the pope.

The palace includes an art gallery on the first floor. Its second floor contains bedrooms, a library, a private chapel, and multiple sitting rooms.

The residence also houses papal artifacts like a set of theological encyclopedias owned by Pope Benedict XVI.

Pope Francis opened the Apostolic Palace and gardens to the public, but rarely visited himself during his tenure.

While other popes became familiar faces to local residents during their summer visits, Francis only ever visited Castle Gandolfo three times in 2013 and never stayed overnight, The New York Times reported.

Instead of staying at the Papal Palace, Leo XIV is staying at Villa Barberini, another building on the property.

Villa Barberini was built by Scipione Visconti, an Italian noble, as a palace in the 17th century, according to the official website of the Apostolistic Palace and Gardens.

Taddeo Barberini, Pope Urban VIII’s nephew, acquired the home in 1631 and expanded the building and its grounds. In more recent years, it served as the residence of the Vatican Secretary of State.

Villa Barberini is known for its expansive gardens.

The gardens include Borgo Laudato Si, a 55-hectare garden, farm, and ecological education area created by Pope Francis in 2023.

Even on his vacation, Leo XIV has continued leading mass on the grounds of the papal residence.

Leo XIV led the first Mass for the Care of Creation in the gardens of the residence, calling the setting “a kind of ‘natural’ cathedral” in his homily, Vatican News reported.

He also held a private audience with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

“We very much count on the Vatican and His Holiness to help provide a place for a high-level meeting of leaders to end this war,” Zelenskyy told reporters of the Russia-Ukraine War on July 9.

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