Pope Leo moves into Apostolic Palace

Pope Leo XIV has formally moved into the Apostolic Palace.

There was no fanfare, no ceremony, or even new photographs released to mark the significant move of the new Holy Father. A simple message was sent to journalists confirming a new residency. 

This afternoon, Pope Leo XIV will take possession of the apartment in the Apostolic Palace, moving, with his closest collaborators, into the spaces previously occupied by his predecessors.

Before the then-Cardinal Robert Prevost was elected the 267th Supreme Pontiff, he lived in the same place which he had occupied since becoming Prefect of the Congregation for Bishops in 2023. The role saw Archbishop Prevost assisting then-Pope Francis in choosing pastoral leaders whom he would entrust to the ecclesial communities worldwide. Prevost’s room, located within the Palace of the Holy Office (Palazzo Sant’Uffizio), now known as the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, was not opulent or grand by any standards. 

Previous Popes have resided in the Apostolic Palace since its construction in the 15th century. However, it was Pope Urban VIII who established it as the primary Papal Residence around the 17th century. Pope St. Pius X was the first to reside within the current Papal Apartments after having them moved to the third floor. This space was then completely remodelled in 1964 by Pope Paul VI and has since undergone periodic restorations. The last major work was completed in the spring of 2005, before Pope Benedict XVI moved into the traditional surroundings overlooking St. Peter’s Square. New plumbing and wiring were installed, along with a custom-fitted personal library. 

All predecessors had lived within the 15th-century rooms until Pope Francis’s pontificate in 2013. The modest Pope had chosen not to reside in the Palace, instead living at Casa Santa Marta, which houses lodging for visiting Vatican officials. It is notably used to accommodate the Cardinals during a Conclave.  

The previous arrangements of the Papal Apartments were, and still are, located on the third and fourth floors of the Apostolic Palace. A corner-situated bedroom for the Pope overlooked St. Peter’s Square itself, with the Holy Father’s bedroom facing the Square, windows through which he appears to recite the Angelus prayer. One could tell whether he was at home, awake, or asleep at any given moment. 

Christoph Wagener – CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

These windows were notorious during the last days of St. John Paul II’s pontificate. They offered the growing number of pilgrims a sign that the ailing Holy Father was still alive. The late Pontiff was suffering various severe health issues and had undergone numerous hospitalisations when, in April 2005, he ran a high fever and developed sepsis. The grave condition summoned around 60,000 of the faithful to pray beneath the Palace windows. Following both kidney and heart failure, the Polish-born Pope died at 9:37 pm as the lights in his bedroom remained on for the mourners throughout the night. The world’s focus was on the same windows where Leo appears every Sunday.

Following the death of a Pope, as the Roman Catholic Church enters Sede Vacante, the Papal Apartments are sealed in accordance with tradition. This was the case in April 2025 when Pope Francis died after serving for 12 years and 39 days. The subsequent election of Cardinal Robert Prevost as Pope Leo XIV—the first reigning sovereign from the United States—saw the new Holy Father break the affixed seal in a small ceremony three days after the Conclave on 11th May, 2026.

Over the past 10 months, meticulous renovations have been underway on the spaces which had not been occupied since before 2013. Safety and security were paramount in the work which was done by both Vatican workmen and a private contractor.

It is believed that Pope Leo’s renovated space, also on the third and fourth floors, will be in an “attic” loft, without a private bathroom in his room. The Pope will be sharing the living areas with his two trusted collaborators and personal secretaries, Msgr. Edgard Iván Rimaycuna Inga and Fr. Marco Bileri. Leo XIV is also believed to have a small chapel where the Pope celebrates Mass at the start of each day, a kitchen, a gym, and a small terrace.

“I think that, in order to truly take good care of ourselves, everyone should do a bit of activity for both body and soul — everything together. I think that for me, at least, having a moment, a pause during the week really helps a lot. — Pope Leo XIV

However, in a move with tradition, the Holy Father’s bedroom will not overlook St. Peter’s Square. This is solely for security reasons. His bedroom will face the inner courtyard of the Palace, largely hidden from public gaze, “except for small windows that protrude above the cornices,” per La Repubblica, as well as offering views of the Institute for the Works of Religion (IOR), known as the Vatican Bank.

Pope Leo continues another tradition shunned by his predecessor. Castel Gandolfo is the Papal summer residence located around 43 kilometres from the Vatican. Southwest of Rome, the small city situated on a hilltop has its own Apostolic Palace (Palazzo Apostolico di Castel Gandolfo). The property also encompasses vast gardens and a museum. The Prefecture of the Pontifical Household announced in June 2025 that the Palace would soon be restored as a Papal Residence. He now returns every Tuesday as a day of rest.

The Holy See Press Office did not confirm the exact living situation in the new surroundings, except to say that the renovated rooms include a “private study room, where the Pope appears at the window for the Angelus in St. Peter’s Square, a library, and a small chapel.”

Now that the move is complete with all required furnishings, pilgrims can once again look up to see if the Holy Father is home. The small details, while seeming inconspicuous, are a way for the faithful to connect directly with their Supreme Pontiff, almost as looking up at the flagpole of Buckingham Palace to see if the monarch is in residence.