CASTEL GANDOLFO, Italy (AP) — Pope Leo XIV arrived in the papal summer retreat of Castel Gandolfo on Sunday to start a six-week vacation, giving the hilltop town back its most illustrious resident after Pope Francis stayed away during his 12-year pontificate.

After the whirlwind of his election, Pope Leo XIV has decamped to Castel Gandolfo to escape the heat of Rome and enjoy a summer vacation, like many popes before him.

Escape the heat in Rome in this lakeside town where popes have holidayed for centuries. View on euronews