Pope Leo XIV is expected to take up residence in the papal apartment on the first floor of the Apostolic Palace, left vacant by Francis for more than 12 years. Each day, our special correspondents in Rome report on life inside the Vatican following Francis’ death and the election of his successor.
Where will Pope Leo XIV live? According to the Italian press, he is expected to move into the traditional papal apartment on the first floor of the Apostolic Palace. The space, sealed after Pope Francis's death, was formally reopened in Leo’s presence at noon May 11, following the Regina Caeli prayer.
Because the apartment remained inaccessible, the new pope delivered the prayer from the loggia of St. Peter’s Basilicarather than from the window of the Apostolic Palace’s top floor, as every pope has done since 1958.
Before Leo XIV can move in, however, renovations will be needed. The apartment hasn’t seen serious updates since 2005, after the death of John Paul II. Back then, workers spent three months upgrading outdated electrical systems (still running on 125 volts at the time), redoing the plumbing, modernizing the air conditioning and kitchen, and—most notably—building a library to house the 20,000-volume collection of Joseph Ratzinger.
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