Pope Francis, who recently passed away at the age of 88 on April 21, 2025, was the first pontiff in modern history to permanently give up his summer residence at Castel Gandolfo. In October 2016, the Vatican announced that the private apartments of the magnificent papal palace, located 25 kilometers southeast of Rome, would be opened to the public as a museum. It was an unprecedented decision that allowed thousands of visitors to admire spaces previously reserved exclusively for pontiffs.
Pope Francis has never spent a summer at Castel Gandolfo during his pontificate, breaking a centuries-old tradition consistent with his lifestyle marked by sobriety and essentiality.
Pope Francis’ choice of humility
The renunciation at Castel Gandolfo fits perfectly into the framework of the choices of humility that have characterized Bergoglio’s entire pontificate. Since the beginning of his papacy, Francis had already renounced the sumptuous rooms of the Apostolic Apartment in the Vatican, preferring a modest three-room apartment in the Santa Marta residence. According to Vatican sources, the Argentine pontiff was “tired of the Vatican being the last court of Europe” and did not understand how a 55-hectare villa could be maintained for use for only a few weeks a year.
Pope Francis always maintained that he did not go on vacation during the summer, but simply devoted more time to prayer and reading the classics while remaining active in his apostolic ministry.
Castel Gandolfo: an architectural jewel with a thousand-year history
Affectionately referred to as “Vatican number two” by Pope John Paul II, the papal summer residence of Castel Gandolfo in antiquity may have housed the acropolis of ancient Alba Longa, while in Roman times it was home to the Albanum Domitianim, the sumptuous villa of Emperor Domitian. Around 1200, the ducal Gandolfi family had a castle built on the western summit of Lake Albano, hence the present name of the locality.
The property later passed to the Savelli family and finally to the Camera Apostolica in 1596. It was Pope Urban VIII, between 1623 and 1644, who commissioned the work of rebuilding the dilapidated castle, entrusting the project to Carlo Maderno, the same architect who created the facade of St. Peter’s Basilica.
The Pontifical Villas complex covers an area of 55 hectares and includes the Apostolic Palace, Villa Barberini and Villa Cybo, surrounded by beautiful Italian gardens. Inside the palace are numerous historic rooms, including the Audience Court, the Salone degli Svizzeri, the Throne Room and the Consistory Room, all richly decorated with important works of art from the Vatican’s heritage. The tradition of popes spending the summer at Castel Gandolfo dates back to the 17th century, with Pope Alexander VII being the first to reside there.
Many popes have left unforgettable memories within these walls: John Paul II used to surprise employees and their children by playing with them in the gardens; on summer nights one could hear the notes of the piano on which Benedict XVI performed pieces by Bach, Mozart and Beethoven; Pope Pius XI had created a farm with crops, a chicken coop and dairy cows in the nearby villas, which still supplies food to Vatican City.
Pope Francis’ vacation home turned into a museum
Pope Francis’ decision to turn Castel Gandolfo into a museum was made official in October 2016, with an inauguration on the 21st of that month, accompanied by a concert of Chinese folk music. Earlier, in 2014, the pontiff had already opened the gardens of the Villa Barberini to the public, subject to reservations for groups. Since 2015, it was already possible to reach these gardens on board a vintage train from the Vatican station.
This decision was not welcomed by everyone. Some members of the Curia wondered what would happen if Francis’ successor wanted to recover the villa for private use. On this point, the Argentine pope was very clear: If the next pope wanted to use Castel Gandolfo, he could close the museum and go there to rest, but he would not.
Among the places that can now be visited is the bedroom intended for the pontiffs with windows overlooking the sea, which during World War II was used as a delivery room for women in the area, giving birth to about forty children, later called “the Pope’s children.”
Visitors can also admire the private chapel, the Holy Father’s library and the study where popes devoted themselves to writing encyclicals and preparing homilies.
You can purchase tickets to the Vatican Museums on the official website, choosing between admission to the Papal Palace and the Secret Garden, the Astronomical Domes of the Papal Palace, and the Vatican Specola.
The use of proceeds from the papal museum
Francis’ relinquishment of Castel Gandolfo was not only a symbolic choice, but also a concrete savings for Vatican finances. Maintaining a 55-hectare property with numerous historic buildings and gardens requires significant resources that, according to the Pontiff, could have been better spent on other initiatives. The money raised from the sale of admission tickets to the museum helps cover the deficit in Vatican finances, which in the last years of Francis’ pontificate have shown signs of improvement.
The opening to the public has also become an important source of revenue for Castel Gandolfo’s local economy, bringing tourism and visitors to what is considered one of the most beautiful views in all of Italy, on the shores of volcanic Lake Albano.
What future for Castel Gandolfo?
Now that Pope Francis has passed away, there are questions about the future of the summer residence. The pontiff had made his position clear: if his successor wanted to use Castel Gandolfo as a private residence, he could do so by closing the museum to the public. This decision will be up to the next pope to be elected in the Conclave.
Regardless of the future choice, the opening of Castel Gandolfo to the public will remain in history as one of the most significant gestures of Francis’ pontificate, consistent with his vision of an open Church, close to the people and less tied to privileges and traditions that do not reflect the Gospel spirit of humility and service.