Pope opens private summer residence to visitors

 

 These rooms have witnessed history. This is the bedroom where two Popes, Pius XII and Paul VI, died, and where Pope John Paul II recovered from an assassination attempt.

Bedroom – These rooms have witnessed history. This is the bedroom where two Popes, Pius XII and Paul VI, died, and where Pope John Paul II recovered from an assassination attemptPope Francis has once again bucked tradition by opening his exclusive papal vacation apartments for public viewing.

The Apostolic Palace at Castel Gandolfo, for centuries the summer residence and vacation retreat of the leader of the Catholic Church, is located 25 kilometers outside of Rome on Lake Albano.

Twenty never-before-seen rooms opened to the public on October 22, including a private library, study, chapel and simple bedroom.

Sanctuary for refugees

These rooms have witnessed history: During the Nazi occupation of World War II, Jewish women gave birth to their babies in the bedroom while they were being hidden by Pope Pius XII.

The bedchamber is also where two Popes, Pius XII and Paul VI, died.

Pope Francis has only visited the palace a handful of times since his election in 2013 and has never spent the night there.

While Francis is famous for eschewing luxury and not taking vacations, he's not the first pope to pass up the summer residence.

"Of the 33 pontiffs that could have used the papal residence of Castel Gandolfo, only 15 came, the rest did not," says Dr. Sandro Barbaglio, curator of the historical section of the Vatican Museum.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

HIV-positive: Italian Valentino Talluto jailed for infecting 30 women

Image
An Italian accountant has been jailed for 24 years after intentionally infecting 30 women with HIV. Valentino Talluto is said to have had unprotected sex with at least 53 women after his HIV diagnosis in 2006, the youngest of whom was 14 at the relationship's start. The accountant, using the pseudonym "Hearty Style", went on social networks and dating sites to find his victims. On Friday, judges sentenced the 33-year-old to 24 years in prison. Talluto's defence lawyers had argued their client's actions were "imprudent, but not intentional". 'My ex told everyone I had HIV' However, those who asked him to wear a condom were told he was either allergic, or had recently been tested for HIV, news agency AFP reported. When some of the women confronted him after discovering they were infected, he denied he was a carrier of the potentially deadly virus, which can lead to Aids. As a result of his actions, another four people contract...
Read more

Why Bananas may go into extinction

Image
A wild banana that may hold the key to protecting the world's edible banana crop has been put on the extinction list. It is found only in Madagascar, where there are just five mature trees left in the wild. Scientists say the plant needs to be conserved, as it may hold the secret to keeping bananas safe for the future. Most bananas consumed around the world are of a type known as the Cavendish, which is vulnerable to a plant pest. The race is on to develop new banana varieties that are both tasty to eat and resilient enough to survive attack from Panama disease. The Madagascan banana has evolved in isolation on an island cut off from the mainland, and may have special properties. Richard Allen, senior conservation assessor at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, said the species ( Ensete perrieri ) could have in-built tolerance to drought or disease. "It doesn't have Panama disease in it, so perhaps it has genetic traits against the disease," he said. ...
Read more