ROME (OSV News) — Pope Leo XIV will travel to six destinations across Italy this year, the Vatican announced on Feb. 19, journeying from the shrine of Our Lady of the Rosary of Pompeii in the south to the tomb of St. Augustine in northern Italy.
Each of the six destinations carries distinct spiritual or social significance with visits ranging from a Mediterranean island synonymous with the migrant crisis to an area that has been afflicted by illegal waste dumping by organized crime on the eve of the anniversary of “Laudato Si’.”
Our Lady of Pompeii
The most symbolically resonant of the trips will bring the pope south to the Pontifical Shrine of the Blessed Virgin of the Rosary of Pompeii on the first anniversary of his election on May 8, the day of the Prayer of Supplication to Our Lady of Pompeii, to whom Pope Leo entrusted his mission as pope.
The Pompeii shrine, located in the shadow of Mount Vesuvius in the Campania region of southern Italy, is one of the most visited Marian shrines in Italy. It was founded in the late 19th century by St. Bartolo Longo, whom Pope Leo XIV canonized last October. Longo, a former self-described Satanist, experienced a dramatic conversion and devoted the rest of his life to promoting the rosary and serving the poor.
Afternoon visit to nearby Naples
Pope Leo will offer Mass at the shrine before traveling to nearby Naples for an afternoon visit, where he will meet with clergy and religious at the city’s cathedral and greet the faithful in the Piazza Plebiscito, one of the largest public squares in Italy.
The six Italian pastoral trips are all structured as day or half-day visits, taking Pope Leo to five of Italy’s 20 regions during the spring and summer months, from Lombardy in the north to the seaside of the Adriatic Riviera and an island south of Sicily.
Acerra, the ‘Land of Fires’
On May 23, the pope is scheduled to visit Acerra, a town of roughly 60,000 people located about nine miles northeast of Naples in a region known as the Terre dei Fuochi, or “Land of Fires.” For decades, the area has been afflicted by illegal waste dumping and burning, much of it linked to organized crime, causing elevated rates of illness among local residents. Pope Leo has chosen to visit on the eve of the anniversary of “Laudato Si’,” Pope Francis’ 2015 encyclical on care for the environment.
Pavia, St. Augustine’s final resting place
On June 20, the Augustinian pope will travel north to Pavia, a city in Lombardy, to pay tribute to St. Augustine of Hippo. The Basilica of San Pietro in Ciel d’Oro in Pavia houses the remains of the fourth-century bishop and theologian, one of the most influential figures in Christian history. Augustine, born in what is now Algeria, died in A.D. 430. His relics were transferred north to Lombardy in the eighth century.
Lampedusa, symbol of the global migration crisis
On July 4, Pope Leo will visit Lampedusa, the tiny Italian island in the Mediterranean Sea that lies closer to the coast of Tunisia, roughly 70 miles away, than to Sicily, some 127 miles to the north. Pope Francis visited Lampedusa in July 2013 to draw attention to those who had lost their lives attempting the crossing from the African coast, making it the first trip of his pontificate. The island has since remained a powerful symbol of the global migration crisis, serving as a primary European entry point for migrants, many coming from Libya and Tunisia.
Assisi for the Jubilee Year of St. Francis
On Aug. 6, Pope Leo will travel to Assisi, the Umbrian hill town and birthplace of St. Francis, to offer Mass and meet with young Europeans as part of the Church’s celebration of the special jubilee year marking the 800th anniversary of St. Francis’ death. The papal visit coincides with the feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord and falls a few days after the annual celebration for Assisi’s Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli, a 16th-century church built over the small chapel where St. Francis founded the Franciscan order. Each year during the first week of August pilgrims to the basilica can receive a plenary indulgence (under the usual conditions), recalling St. Francis mystical experience at the site in 1216 in which St. Francis asked Christ to offer complete remission of all sins, to all those who, repented and confessed, within that church.
The Rimini Meeting
The final announced visit will take Pope Leo to Rimini on Aug. 22 for the Meeting for Friendship Amongst Peoples, an annual gathering organized by Communion and Liberation, a Catholic lay movement with roots in Italy. Pope Leo will be the first pope to attend the event, known informally as the Rimini Meeting, and will also offer Mass with Catholics of the diocese.
International Travel Still Unconfirmed
The announcement of the Italian trips comes amid speculation about Pope Leo’s international travels. The Vatican has yet to officially confirm any international papal travel in 2026, though bishops in Angola and Equatorial Guinea have referenced upcoming papal visits, and church officials in Spain have similarly indicated they expect Pope Leo in June.
A one-day visit to Monaco and a year-end return to Peru, where Pope Leo spent significant years of his ministry before his election to the papacy, has also been the subject of discussion.
A Vatican spokesman confirmed earlier this month that there are no plans for Pope Leo to travel to the United States or Mexico this year.
Courtney Mares is Vatican editor for OSV News. Follow her on X @catholicourtney.
