After the whirlwind of his election and a nonstop round of public and private meetings ever since, Pope Leo XIV has chosen to take some time to rest and recharge. Choosing where to take his vacation was a simple decision.

VATICAN CITY (RNS) — Castel Gandolfo's pilgrims, bikers and locals have missed a papal presence in the town.

Overlooking Lake Albano on a hill south of Rome, Castel Gandolfo was for centuries a much-loved papal summer retreat — until Pope Francis renounced both the estate and summer holidays.