Pope Leo XIV is spending July at Castel Gandolfo, the papal summer estate. He hosted 1,300 guests and led a Mass for Creation, calling the gardens a 'natural cathedral'.
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Pope Leo XIV arrived July 5 at the papal summer residence in Castel Gandolfo, a 135-acre estate overlooking Lake Albano, about 15 miles southeast of Rome. He will stay until July 27, the Vatican's Prefecture of the Papal Household said in a statement.
The residence, first occupied by Pope Urban VIII in 1626, includes the Apostolic Palace, Villa Barberini, gardens, an observatory, and a newly built tennis court. The palace sits on the ruins of an ancient Roman emperor's villa and became part of the Holy See in 1604, according to the official website of the Apostolic Palace and Gardens. Villa Barberini was built in the 17th century by the Italian noble Scipione Visconti and later expanded by Taddeo Barberini, the nephew of Urban VIII. In recent decades it served as the residence of the Vatican Secretary of State.
Leo XIV's first full summer at the estate has already produced several events. On July 6 he led the first Mass for the Care of Creation in the Borgo Laudato Si garden, a 55-hectare farm and ecological education area created by Pope Francis in 2023. Leo XIV called the setting "a kind of 'natural' cathedral" in his homily, Vatican News reported.
A few days later, the pope hosted a lunch for about 1,300 people. The invited guests included single parents, refugees, people with disabilities, and individuals seeking to reintegrate into the workforce, Vatican News reported. "As you know very well, one of the Pope's titles is 'Pontiff,' which means 'builder of bridges,'" Leo XIV said at the event. "Today, we would like to build a bridge with all of you, with your families, and with the society in which we wish to live, and to live in justice."
The lunch reflects Leo XIV's early emphasis on direct engagement with marginalized groups. Earlier popes were familiar faces in Castel Gandolfo during summer months. Francis visited only three times in 2013 and never stayed overnight, The New York Times reported.
The estate houses more than living quarters. The Apostolic Palace contains an art gallery on the first floor and a second floor with bedrooms, a library, a private chapel, and multiple sitting rooms. Papal artifacts include a set of theological encyclopedias that once belonged to Pope Benedict XVI.
The diplomatic significance of the residence also surfaced during Leo XIV's stay. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told reporters he hoped the Vatican would host a high-level meeting to end the war with Russia. "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 said. Castel Gandolfo has served as a neutral venue before, and its distance from Rome offers a quieter setting for sensitive talks.
The gardens include Borgo Laudato Si, named after Francis's 2015 encyclical on the environment. Leo XIV's Mass there signaled continuity with Francis's focus on climate and creation care. The setting itself reinforces the environmental message.
Leo XIV's choice to spend nearly a month at the estate, combined with the structured events and a visible public schedule, marks a shift from the light footprint of Francis. The tennis court and observatory hint at the range of facilities available. The estate covers 135 acres, with lawns, woods, and views across the lake.
By July 27, when Leo XIV returns to the Apostolic Palace in Rome, he will have spent 22 days at Castel Gandolfo, longer than Francis ever did in a single visit.
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