The 69-year-old Chicago native is resuming the papal tradition of leaving the Vatican for the hot summer months in favor of the relatively cooler climes of the Alban Hills, south of Rome. The area has been a favorite getaway for Roman rulers since the time of the Emperor Domitian in the first century.

As Pope Leo XIV arrives in Castel Gandolfo for his summer break, it is unlikely to be a real vacation for the new pontiff.

Leo will disappear further this weekend when he begins a six-week vacation in his first break since his historic election May 8. Leo is resuming the papal tradition of escaping the Roman heat for the relatively cooler climes of Castel Gandolfo, the papal summer retreat on Lake Alban, south of Rome.