Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI will in July stay at the papal retreat in Castel Gandolfo, south of Rome, but Pope Francis won't be paying him a visit there, the Vatican said on Monday.
Francis has never stayed at the Castel Gandolfo estate, preferring to remain in the Vatican hotel even during the hot summer months.
In April, Benedict marked his 88th birthday at Castel Gandolfo, which is set among the Alban hills and overlooks a volcanic lake.
While is was pontiff, Benedict was a regular summer visitor to Castel Gandolfo. He also spent several months there after his shock resignation in February 2013.
He later moved into a renovated monastery in the Vatican gardens, where has lived a secluded life ever since, away from the public gaze.
These days Benedict spends much of his time reading and keeping up with his correspondence, receiving guests and occasionally playing the piano, his longtime private secretary, Monsignor Georg Gaenswein, told Italian daily La Repubblica in April.
