The measure coincides with the forecast that Pope Leo XIV may move this summer to what has traditionally been the summer residence of the pontiffs.
Closing of the museum in the middle of high season
According to Rome Reports, ticket sales to visit the palace—open as a museum since 2016—are only available until June 30.
Starting in July, and for the following months, no dates are available, which is particularly striking as it coincides with the high tourist season in the area.
Sources from Castel Gandolfo have indicated that the works will begin in May, with the aim of adapting the building again for residential use.
From museum to pontifical residence
The palace was converted into a museum by Pope Francis, allowing public access for the first time to private rooms such as the papal bedroom, the chapel, or the office.
This decision represented a significant change from the tradition of exclusive use by the pontiffs.
Now, the proposed project contemplates a limited intervention to return the building to its original function.
According to the same sources cited by Rome Reports, it is not a major reform, but basic adaptation works, as the property is in good condition of conservation.
Security reasons and move from Villa Barberini
Currently, Leo XIV resides in Villa Barberini during his stays in Castel Gandolfo. However, this location presents security limitations, being situated at street level and with open access to pedestrians and vehicles.
The possibility of moving the Pope to the Apostolic Palace responds, in part, to these considerations, in addition to recovering a space historically linked to the rest of the pontiffs.
A residence marked by the history of the popes
Castel Gandolfo has been for centuries a summer retreat place for the popes. St. John Paul II used it frequently, as did Benedict XVI. In this enclave, Pius XII also died in 1958 and Paul VI in 1978.
With this possible change, Leo XIV would place himself in the continuity of a tradition interrupted in recent years, recovering the use of a residence that has played a relevant role in the life of the contemporary Church.
A return to tradition
If the move is confirmed, Leo XIV could become the sixteenth pontiff to use Castel Gandolfo as a summer residence.
The reopening of the palace as a residence would thus mean a return to a practice consolidated for decades in the Roman pontificate.