After a renovation, Pope Leo XIV moves into the papal apartment eschewed by Pope Francis

ROME — Pope Leo XIV moved into the newly renovated papal apartment in the Apostolic Palace on Saturday, taking up residence in the flat that was famously eschewed by Pope Francis.

The Vatican said Leo would be joined by his closest aides in the apartment, located on the third floor of the Apostolic Palace and overlooking St. Peter’s Square. The move and the consolidation of Leo’s team, suggests a new chapter is opening as his pontificate nears the one-year mark.

After he was elected last May, Leo had continued living in his small flat in the Vatican’s Palazzo del Sant’Uffizio, the headquarters of the Holy See doctrine office that also has a handful of private apartments for Vatican officials.

Over the ensuing 10 months, the Vatican undertook extensive renovations to the papal apartment in the Apostolic Palace, which hadn’t been used during Francis’ 12-year papacy and was in dire need of an update to bring its electric, plumbing and other utilities up to standard.

In recent months, as Leo’s move-in date neared, a crane was seen working on the site.

Francis chose not to live in the apartment because he said he wanted to be surrounded by other people.