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It will be the Pontiff’s second extended stay at the summer residence since the beginning of his pontificate, reviving a tradition that for decades formed part of the popes’ regular calendar.
According to the Prefecture of the Papal Household, general audiences on Wednesdays, as well as private and special audiences, will be suspended during these weeks.
The Pope’s ordinary activity will resume on August 5, when the traditional general audiences will once again be held in the Vatican.
Although he will significantly reduce his public schedule, Leo XIV will not completely disappear from the public life of the Church.
As is customary during the summer period, he will lead the recitation of the Angelus on the Sundays of July from the Liberty Square of Castel Gandolfo, where pilgrims and residents of this town, located about 25 kilometers from Rome, are expected to gather.
A return to the popes’ summer residence
For centuries, Castel Gandolfo was the place chosen by the pontiffs to rest during the hottest months of the year. From Urban VIII to Benedict XVI, the residence hosted numerous summer periods for the popes, who from there continued to attend to some of their responsibilities while maintaining a reduced work pace.
In recent years, the complex had partially lost that residential function. Leo XIV’s decision to spend several weeks in Castel Gandolfo represents a return to a custom closely linked to the Roman pontificate and restores prominence to a place deeply connected to the recent history of the papacy.
During his stay, the Pope will maintain only the commitments scheduled for Sundays, while dedicating these weeks to rest before fully resuming his public activity at the end of July and restarting the general audiences in August.