Spanish
Vatican City.- Leo XIV unexpectedly visited this Thursday the pontifical villa of Castel Gandolfo, on the outskirts of Rome and which was a summer resort for the popes until the arrival of Francis, and stopped especially in the gardens, where his predecessor launched the “Borgo Laudato Si,” a project of ecodiversity.
The Vatican did not provide further details about the visit of the American pope with a Peruvian passport to Castel Gandolfo, where Francis went only once to see Benedict XVI, on March 23, 2013. He never returned and the palace became a museum.
While in his gardens, the Argentinian pope promoted the ‘Borgo Laudato Si’, included among the experiences of the Jubilee, and which represents “an important initiative of formation in integral ecology,” as explained on the project's website.
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The area, with an extension of 35 hectares of gardens and 20 of agricultural area, houses more than 3,000 plants belonging to 300 different species, offering an immersive experience in natural beauty. In addition, the archaeological remains of the Roman Emperor Domitian's Villa can be explored.
In these early days of his pontificate, the Pope has surprised with his departures from the Vatican, such as the one he made on May 20th when he visited the dicastery (ministry) of Bishops, which he led from January 30, 2023, when Francis appointed him, until entering the conclave that elected him Pope.
As well as the visit to the sanctuary of Genazzano, on the outskirts of Rome, and then to the tomb of Francis in Santa Maria Maggiore.In another outing a few meters from the Vatican, he visited the headquarters of the Augustinians, the order to which he belongs, where he celebrated Mass and had lunch with his brothers.
