Sports and rest: Leo XIV starts vacations and resumes a tradition abandoned by Francisco

The Pope’s predecessor, the Argentine Jorge Mario Bergogliodid not use the Pontifical Villa and, in addition, converted the Apostolic Palace – which for centuries housed the pontiffs – in a museum. Leo XIV now recovered the ancient tradition. Until now, he used another villa as a hostel.

“Thank you, I am very happy to be among you and I look forward to spending the next few weeks with a little rest, a little prayers, another bit of reading and, I hopea little sport here in Castel Gandolfo. I thank you for your welcome, thank you for being brothers and sisters,” he said from the balcony of the residence to the crowd of neighbors who greeted him in the central square.

Private hearings for the entire month of July have been suspended. There will also be no general hearings. The regular calendar will resume on July 30.

The calendar foresees a second stay in Castel Gandolfo between August 15 and 17, which includes a Holy Mass in the pontifical parish on the 15th, the day of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, and, successively, the celebration of the Angelus. On August 17, after a Sunday Marian recitation, the Pontiff will return definitively to the Vatican, thus concluding his summer rest.

The Pontifical Villas arise in an area of “extraordinary historical stratification”which extended from the ancient villa of Emperor Domitian (81-96 AD) in a monumental complex of 14 square kilometers to Lake Albano. The fief was incorporated into the assets of the Holy See in 1604.

With the end of the Papal State, came a long period of abandonment for the more than sixty Pontifical Villas. The complex was reborn at the beginning of the 20th century.

Pope Leo XIV said he hopes to play sports. Dedicate Tuesdays to rest in Castel Gandolfo. There is a pool built for John Paul II to swim in, by medical prescription. The Pope also has several horses at his disposal: he is a good horseman and plays tennis.

Already in 1934, the Vatican Astronomical Observatory, entrusted to the Jesuit fathers, had been moved to the complex.

In recent years, the complex was progressively valued as a space cultural and spiritual, also through initiatives such as the Borgo Laudato Sí, promoted by Pope Francis in 2023, which included several gardens.

Jorge Mario Bergoglio decided in 2016 to transform the Apostolic Palace into a museum complex, opening the pontifical apartments to the public and the gallery with portraits of the Popes from the 16th century to the present day. His idea was to value spaces as shared cultural assets.

Now, the decision to reopen the Apostolic Palace for summer residence represents a return to tradition. Leo XIV will occupy the Pontifical Villa until July 27, when he will return to Rome.