Pope Leo XIV is now on vacation at the papal summer residence in Castel Gandolfo, a small town overlooking the volcanic Lake Albano, 15 miles south of Rome. He will remain there until July 27. 

During this period, “all general, private and special audiences have been suspended,” and “the general [Wednesday] audiences will begin again on August 5,” the prefecture of the papal household stated in a communique to the media.

Hundreds of residents of the town as well as tourists turned out to welcome him when he arrived by car on Sunday afternoon, July 5.

Leo appeared on the balcony of the papal palace where many popes have resided since Clement VIII (1592-1605) first came here during his pontificate. The town takes its name from a noble Genoese family who came here in the 12th century and built this fortified castle.

Good evening, good evening, Castel Gandolfo,” Pope Leo said in Italian, as he greeted the crowd gathered under the balcony, cheering, “Papa Leone! Papa Leone!” 

“I am very happy to be here among you and to spend the next few weeks with a little rest, a little prayer, a little reading and, hopefully, a little sport here in Castel Gandolfo!” he said.

“Coming together is always an important moment, and I am happy that you are all here. Thank you for your welcome, and thank you for being brothers and sisters,” he added.

With a smile on his face, Pope Leo gave them his blessing and assured them of his prayers in the coming weeks. He said they would meet again for the Angelus on Sundays, and “perhaps on other occasions,” hinting that he may travel out of the villa to visit some places in the vicinity and probably say Mass, as he did last summer when he first came here, at the church of St. Thomas of Villanova, named for the 16th-century Augustinian saint.

When he first came here in the summer of 2025, he did not stay in the castle, as his predecessor, Pope Francis, had never vacationed here and had turned it into a museum. Instead, Leo stayed at the nearby Barberini Palace, where the secretary of state traditionally resided when the pope was in Castel Gandolfo. The castle underwent renovations to again make it a suitable residence in preparation for Leo’s vacation. 

Leo, a sportsman, can play tennis here, swim in the pool that St. John Paul II had built, ride a horse or walk in the splendidly kept gardens on the 135-acre grounds of the pontifical villas that house the Borgo Laudato Si’ ecology project that was started under Pope Francis and which Leo visited last year.

The pope came here after a very busy period that concluded with his visit on July 4 to the island of Lampedusa, “the gateway to Europe.” More than 400,000 migrants from Africa have arrived on the island over the last 15 years after making a perilous crossing by boat, while an estimated 32,000 have drowned in the Mediterranean Sea.

Later that day, on his return to Rome, the first American pope paid a visit to the residence of the U.S. ambassador to the Holy See at the invitation of Ambassador Brian Burch, to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States. Photos of the visit show him sitting with Mr. Burch and his wife, Sara, chatting in front of a table with a cake in the form of the American flag; another shows the ambassador and his family of nine children with the pope.

Posts on X by the embassy said, “Pope Leo XIV celebrated America’s 250th birthday with Ambassador Burch, Mrs. Burch, and family,” and Mr. Burch said under the same photo, “I am deeply honored to celebrate this special day with a fellow American and the Bishop of Rome.” Another tweet said, “Ambassador Burch and the Holy Father discussed President Trump‘s bold leadership and American efforts to pursue peace, religious freedom, and the need for moral clarity and courage around the world.” A caption under another photo said, “Pope Leo confirmed he is rooting for the country of his birth in the World Cup,” while another photo caption from the embassy said, “The Ambassador and his family presented the Holy Father a USA World Cup jersey, a commemorative Freedom 250 baseball, and a homemade apple pie.”

The Italian media reported that Pope Leo had dinner with the Burch family, but this could not be confirmed from the photos released by the embassy. 

The news of his visit was first broken by Italian state television, which ANSA, the Italian state news agency, subsequently reported. The Vatican only confirmed the visit two hours later, saying he went to the residence having accepted the invitation of the ambassador but without providing other details.

The visit took many in Rome by surprise, and it certainly marked a significant diplomatic move by Pope Leo, who in a message for the 250th anniversary described himself as “a son of the United States” and clearly wanted to affirm this notwithstanding the unprovoked attacks from President Trump in recent months. 

It is noteworthy, moreover, that Leo, who has never spoken with President Trump since his election on May 8, 2025, took this step that could be read as a gesture of reconciliation with the president of his homeland who is known especially for his polarizing style. Whether Mr. Trump will now respond in a similarly positive way by reaching out to Leo remains to be seen.