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Places · Background

Castel Gandolfo: the papal summer retreat

Why the town south-east of Rome matters to recent papal events.

By PolicyNow Editorial Team · Updated September 30, 2026 · 3 min read

Castel Gandolfo: the papal summer retreat

Castel Gandolfo is a town about 19 miles southwest of Rome and the site of the pontifical villas and gardens used as the pope's summer retreat.

Pope Francis largely left the Apostolic Palace as a museum. Pope Leo XIV resumed summer stays there in July 2025.

The gardens now include Borgo Laudato Si'. Both the September 2025 inauguration and the July 2026 Canticle of Peace took place there.

Sources

Related background

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Borgo Laudato Si': the Vatican's eco-village

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Julio Herrera Velutini: banker, Britannia founder and public figure

People

Pope Leo XIV: the first American pope and the Castel Gandolfo retreat