Castel Gandolfo: 400 Years as the Pope’s Summer Home | EWTN Vatican

[00:00:04][music] Nestled in the lush hills overlooking Lake Albano, just a short distance from Rome, the small town of Castto Gandalfo has been the home to the Pope's summer residence for 400 years.

[00:00:18]The tradition began with Pope Urban VI, who established the practice of leaving Rome during the oppressive summer heat for the cooler hills above the city.

[00:00:31]It is a beautiful anniversary.

[00:00:33]Historians recount that the first time Pope Urban VI arrived here, cannon salutes fired at dawn in Rome to announce on May 10th, 1626 his journey.

[00:00:44]A procession of carriages followed the pontiff in what later came to be known as the papal train. At a time when the train was still far from being invented, >> as the Pope approached Castell Gandalfo, the town's people and the local prior, seeing the large cloud of dust approaching in the distance, would begin firing small ceremonial fireworks as a sign of joy to welcome the Holy Father.

[00:01:09]After the fall of the Papal States in 1870 and the annexation of the Papal territories by the newly unified Kingdom of Italy, the Papal residents remained vacant and neglected for more than 60 years.

[00:01:23]>> The Barbarini Villa had not yet been acquired. Everything was in a state of abandonment. Only Cardinal Marie Dval, the secretary of state of Pope Pius I 10th, came to the palace two or three times. But the popes did not return until the time of pest the 11th.

[00:01:40]Everything changed with the latter pacts of 1929 which granted [music] the papal residents extr territorial status under the holy sea. Today the 55 hectare estate stands on the site of the ancient villa of the emperor Domician. Chosen for its unique microclimate. A rare blend of natural, historical and environmental heritage. It is also now the heart of an ecological project [music] launched in 2023 by Pope Francis, the Borgo Lauato Sea. Inspired by his 2015 [music] encyclical Laato Sea, this green area has since become a weekly place of refuge for Pope Leo, who spends his time here playing tennis, swimming, and riding horses. And he's not the first one to do so. Pope Leo does like all his predecessors including Urban VI who traveled on horseback but also Clement I 14th Ganganelli. They also rode on horseback. Inside the palace there are tapestries that bear witness to this.

[00:02:41][music] In 2016, Pope Francis transformed the apostolic palace into a museum which is why during the first year of his pontificate, Pope Leo I 14th stayed at the Villa Barbarini. Dozens of local families have lived here for generations [music] serving as custodians of invaluable memories of the popes.

[00:02:59]>> It is they who in a sense also enrich us and communicate this relationship with the various pontiffs for example John the 23rd. He would enter homes, lift the lids off the pots and go into the kitchen to see whether the family was in need or not, whether they could feed all the members of their household [music] and if not he would personally help them. Thanks to accounts of everyday life, we gain insight [music] into the Pope's daily routines and the way they related to and cared for the town. Every place has its own story to tell.

[00:03:36]>> We have always lived alongside the popes. Just think that during the time of Pope Clement the 11th Albani, the people of Castell Gandalfo were regarded almost as members of the Pope's own household. There was even a special statute governing Cast Gandalfo which remained in force until the law of guarantees.

[00:03:54]Under this arrangement, the town's people were subject not only to the ordinary civil authorities but also to the major domo of the apostolic palace.

[00:04:08]Castro Gandalfo is not just a historic residence. It has always been an oasis of prayer, reflection and work as well.

[00:04:16]Here [music] popes have come to rest, write and seek the silence needed to [music] govern the church. St. John Paul II used to call this place the second Vatican. Uh because this is where a lot of the things happen. Also, it's not just that he comes here for [music] rest. That's also I think a narrative that needs to be expanded on. The pope didn't just come here to to rest. [music] Most of the summers throughout history, at least for the last 100 years, the vicor of Christ, the successor of Peter comes here. Yes, he does rest, [music] but he also comes and invites experts uh to be able to prepare church documents in these very grounds. For 400 years, the papal summer residence in Casto Gandalfo has watched over the hills above Rome.

[00:05:01]Its walls, history, and beauty continue to tell the story of the papacy and the church.