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.

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

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.