integral ecology in the heart of the Vatican

It’s a gentle revolution brewing in the shade of holm oaks, lemon trees and yews. Inaugurated in September by Leo XIV, the Borgo (“village”, in Italian) Laudato si’ was born from the desire of his predecessor Francis to make the pontifical property of Castel Gandolfo the concrete sign of an integral ecological conversion, that is to say including all dimensions of man: respect for the living, social justice, openness to spirituality and beauty.

Not far from the Villa Barberini where the Pope regularly stays, the site today has three brand new buildings, built with the latest energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies. Spanning 35 hectares of gardens as well as 20 hectares of vineyards, olive trees and agricultural plots, it hosts an educational farm with animals. This is where around a hundred vulnerable people (with disabilities, victims of violence, migrants, etc.) are trained each year, since 2024, with a view to reintegrating into gardening or agriculture.

Beyond this attention to the most vulnerable, the Borgo educational project is deployed through a higher education center for young people, businesses, but also visitors who are offered a guided tour, based on the key words of the encyclical Laudato si’ . The goal: to raise awareness of the care of Creation and human dignity which constitutes the heart of this text. A place that is both innovative and timeless, steeped in history and faith, that The Pilgrim is happy to show you around.