Pope Leo XIV Begins Summer Vacation at Castel Gandolfo, Moves to Apostolic Palace

Pope Leo XIV began a summer vacation on 5 July 2026, relocating to the historic papal retreat in Castel Gandolfo, Italy. The Vatican announced he will remain there until 27 July, during which all general, private and special audiences are suspended and the Angelus will be celebrated on Sundays from the town's Piazza della Libertà. For security reasons the pope will stay in the Apostolic Palace overlooking Lake Albano rather than the smaller Villa Barberini he used last year.

The holiday follows an intense first half of 2026 in which Leo XIV presented himself as a global statesman, issuing an encyclical on artificial intelligence and taking a public stance against war. On 4 July he visited the Sicilian island of Lampedusa, praying at a migrant cemetery and urging European nations to uphold the dignity of migrants, a visit timed to the 250th anniversary of U.S. independence. Earlier trips this year included stops in Monaco, several African nations and Spain.

During the vacation the pope will continue to address the faithful via the Angelus, resume audiences on 5 August, and may make additional local parish visits. His move back to the Apostolic Palace marks the first papal use of the building for summer residence since Pope Francis turned it into a museum in 2016.