Urban was so enamored of his digs at Castel Gandalfo that shortly after vacationing there for the first time in 1626, he invited his secretary of state to get out of Rome and join him with a Latin poem extolling the attractions of the place. These included a trip on horseback a few miles south to the grove of Egeria on beautiful Lake Nemi.

A spokeswoman for the town of Castel Gandolfo told CNA that Pope Leo XIV is expected to arrive sometime during the first week of July.

As temperatures in Rome swelter this month, reaching more than 35 degrees Celsius (95°F) under the hot Mediterranean sun, Pope Leo has decided to leave town.