Pope Francis In Casa Santa Marta

We give you a closer look into the Santo Papa’s digs!

- Ignazio Ingrao with Stephanie L. Jesena

Welcome to the simple and humble home of the Pope, or his “boarding house,” as he fondly calls Casa Santa Marta. Join us as we give you a tour of the Santo Papa’s lodgings.

FOR PSYCHIATRIC REASONS

As soon as he was elected, Pope Francis carried out an inspection of the apartment on the third floor of the Apostolic Palace, where previous popes had lived. The current Pontiff was shocked when he saw what the place was like. “The Papal Apartment is like a reversed funnel. It is large and spacious, but the entrance is really narrow. People enter in a trickle and I can’t live without people,” Pope Francis revealed in an interview. “A professor asked me this question: 'Why don’t you live there?' I answered, ‘Listen to me, professor, it’s due to psychiatric reasons—it’s my personality.'” What can we say? He’s a people person who definitely feels happier with others around him!

ENTERING CASA SANTA MARTA

To access Casa Santa Marta, it’s better to enter the Vatican from the Perugino Gate—a side entrance that’s often used by suppliers. You go down a steep street: at the end of it you’re in front of the gas station, and to the right, there is a small square named Santa Marta. Initially, cars were forbidden to park around the Pope’s residence. But when Lolo Kiko heard that this caused more trouble for visitors, he asked that the parking be reinstated.

Flanking the door of the Pope’s home are two Swiss Guards. And, if you look up, you will see the window of room 201, where the Pope lives. You would easily recognize it: It is right smack in the center of the second floor, with Vatican flags above it.