Neither the letters addressed to Pope Leo XIV nor the protests of emeritus cardinals, former apostolic nuncios, and other resident prelates have succeeded in halting the transformation of the Domus Internationalis Paulus VI, one of the historic priestly residences of the Holy See, into a hotel establishment. The 2025 balance sheet of the Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See (APSA) officially confirms that the project has received the necessary approvals and has entered its final phase.
The APSA’s economic report includes among its strategic actions the “transformation into a hotel structure” of the building, located on the central Via della Scrofa, in the heart of Rome’s historic center. The document states that, once the future operator has been selected, only the signing of the preliminary contract remains to launch the operation.
According to Il Messaggero, the decision was preceded by strong opposition within the Vatican. Emeritus cardinals, former apostolic nuncios, and several resident priests sent letters both to the Secretariat of State and to Leo XIV himself requesting that the building’s original purpose be maintained, without their requests altering the course of the project.
From a residence for cardinals and priests to a privately managed hotel
The Domus Paulus VI, whose origins date back to the 15th century, was designated by Saint Paul VI for the accommodation of cardinals, bishops, and priests traveling to Rome. Among its residents for many years was the then-Archbishop of Buenos Aires, Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio.
It was precisely in this residence that, after being elected Pope in March 2013, Francis personally returned to pay his bill, a gesture that made headlines around the world and helped consolidate the image of simplicity with which he began his pontificate.
The building’s privileged location, between Piazza Navona and the Pantheon, has made the property one of the most valuable assets in the Holy See’s real estate portfolio.
A thirty-year concession
The Holy See has chosen to grant the building for approximately thirty years to a private operator, who will assume both the rehabilitation and the operation of the future hotel.
As explained to the residents, the decision responds to the impossibility of directly financing works whose cost is estimated between 50 and 60 million euros. In exchange for the concession, the Vatican expects to receive around five million euros annually.
News of the conversion came to light after residents received notices to vacate their apartments and the Argentine newspaper La Nación published a letter signed by several cardinals and bishops expressing their concern over the loss of the building’s original purpose.
A decision on the use of ecclesiastical heritage
During a meeting with the residents, the Portuguese prelate Mario Rui Fernandes Leite de Oliveira explained that the project had been adapted from the initial plans. According to remarks that emerged from that meeting, “with Pope Francis it had been decided that a five-star hotel could not be built for reasons of credibility and image; in the end it will only be a four-star hotel.”
The statement sparked controversy, as during his pontificate Francis had on several occasions criticized the conversion of convents and religious buildings into hotels, warning of the risk of turning ecclesiastical assets into businesses instead of maintaining their original purpose or dedicating them to works of hospitality and charity.
The official confirmation of the project reflects the strategy promoted by the APSA to monetize part of the Holy See’s real estate assets and contribute to balancing its accounts. At the same time, the disappearance of a residence conceived to welcome the clergy reopens the debate on the balance between economic sustainability and the preservation of the identity and historical function of ecclesiastical assets.