You’ve seen the balcony. You know the one—the big window overlooking St. Peter’s Square where the Pope appears every Sunday to wave at the massive crowds. For decades, everyone just assumed that behind those heavy velvet curtains lay a sprawling, gold-leafed palace where the leader of the Catholic Church slept in a massive four-poster bed.
Honestly, the reality is a lot more complicated than that.
If you're asking where does the pope stay, the answer depends entirely on which year you’re asking and which Pope you’re talking about. We are currently living through a pretty fascinating shift in Vatican history. For over a decade, the "traditional" home of the popes was basically a ghost town, and only recently have we seen a return to the old ways.
The Hotel Room That Changed Everything
For most of the 20th century, if you asked where the Pope lived, the answer was easy: the third floor of the Apostolic Palace. But when Pope Francis took over in 2013, he did something that absolutely stunned the Vatican insiders. He took one look at the massive, isolated papal apartments and basically said, "No thanks."
He moved into the Domus Sanctae Marthae (Santa Marta House) instead.
Think of it as a very high-end, very quiet hotel. It was built in 1996 to house cardinals when they come to Rome to elect a new pope. It’s located just a short walk from St. Peter’s Basilica, tucked behind the security walls. Francis chose Suite 201. It’s a simple two-room setup: a sitting room for meetings and a bedroom.
He didn't do it just to be humble, though that's the vibe people love. He actually told friends he stayed there for "psychiatric reasons"—not because he was ill, but because he couldn't stand the isolation of the big palace. He wanted to eat breakfast in a communal dining room. He wanted to see people in the hallways. He wanted to be a person, not a prisoner of a museum.
Where Does the Pope Stay Today?
Things have shifted recently. With the transition to Pope Leo XIV in 2025, the Vatican has seen a "return to normalcy," or at least what passed for normal for five hundred years.
Leo XIV decided to move back into the Apostolic Palace.
The renovation of the papal apartments on the top floor of the palace was a big deal in late 2025. These rooms are iconic. They overlook the square and are filled with history, but they can be incredibly lonely. By moving back, the current Pope has signaled a return to the traditional "court" style of the papacy. So, if you’re looking up at that top-right window of the palace tonight, there’s actually a light on again.
What’s actually inside the Apostolic Palace?
It’s not just one big house. It’s a massive complex of over 1,000 rooms. Most of it is taken up by:
- The Vatican Museums (where the tourists go)
- The Vatican Library
- Government offices (the Roman Curia)
- The Sistine Chapel
The actual "residence" part is surprisingly small compared to the scale of the building. It’s a wing of the palace where the Pope has his private chapel, a small kitchen, and his study.
The Summer House: Castel Gandolfo
Then there’s the "summer" question. For centuries, when Rome got too hot in July (and if you’ve been to Rome in July, you know it’s basically the surface of the sun), the Popes would flee to Castel Gandolfo.
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This is a stunning villa about 15 miles south of Rome, perched on a cliff overlooking Lake Albano. It’s technically part of the Vatican, even though it’s miles away.
Pope Francis, true to his style, almost never used it. He eventually opened it up as a museum. You can actually buy a ticket now and walk through the gardens and see the farm where they produce the Pope’s milk and eggs.
However, in July 2025, the tradition was revived. Leo XIV spent six weeks at the complex. He didn't stay in the main museum building—that would be awkward with tourists walking through—but he used the Villa Barberini on the same grounds. It’s a bit of a middle ground: keeping the tradition alive without shutting down the tourist revenue from the museum.
The Cost of Living Simply
Here is a bit of "inside baseball" that most people miss. While Francis staying in a hotel room sounded cheap, it actually cost the Vatican a fortune.
Reports from Italian outlets like Il Tempo suggested that keeping the Pope in Santa Marta cost nearly €200,000 a month toward the end of his term. Why? Because you had to secure an entire floor of a busy guesthouse. You had to build medical facilities and private offices in a building that wasn't designed for them.
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Moving the Pope back to the Apostolic Palace was actually a cost-saving measure. The palace is already a fortress. It’s already wired for secure communications. It’s easier to protect one man in a palace than it is to protect one man in a hotel full of visiting priests.
Practical Insights for Your Next Trip
If you're heading to Rome and want to see where the magic happens, keep these tips in mind:
- The Sunday Angelus: This is your best bet to see the Pope at "home." At noon on Sundays (when he's in Rome), he appears at the window of the Apostolic Palace. It's free, but get there early.
- The Santa Marta Mystery: You can’t get near the Domus Sanctae Marthae. It’s behind the Swiss Guard checkpoints. Don't bother trying to sneak a peek; those guys in the striped uniforms are more intense than they look.
- Visit the "Old" Bedroom: Take the train from Roma Termini to Castel Gandolfo. It’s a 40-minute ride and absolutely beautiful. You can tour the rooms where Popes like John Paul II and Benedict XVI spent their summers. Seeing the actual bed where a Pope slept is a surreal experience.
- Check the Calendar: Before you plan a "Pope spotting" trip, check the Prefecture of the Pontifical Household website. If he's at the summer residence or on a foreign trip, the Vatican will feel a lot emptier.
The papacy is constantly balancing the need for security with the desire for a "normal" life. Whether he's in a palace or a guest house, the location tells you a lot about how that specific Pope views his role in the world.
To get the most out of a visit, I'd suggest booking a tour of the Vatican Gardens. It's the only way to get a real sense of the "backyard" of these residences without having to be a diplomat or a cardinal.