Valle d'Aosta, Italy, Jul 27, 2006 / 22:00 pm
The Vatican announced today that the Holy Father's vacation at Les Combes, in Italy's Valle d'Aosta region, where he has been staying since July 11, has come to an end this afternoon.
After bidding farewell to Osvaldo Naudin, mayor of Introd, to Bishop Giuseppe Anfossi of Aosta, and to other civil and religious authorities, the Pope traveled to the airport of Aosta where his plane departed. Pope Benedict landed at Rome's Ciampino airport an hour later and from there traveled to the apostolic palace of Castelgandolfo, south of Rome.
The Holy Father will continue to work from Castelgandolfo through the month of August – when many Romans traditionally leave the city. Pope Benedict is expected to continue his work on two reported writings – a new Papal Encyclical and a book on Christology.
Beginning this Sunday, Benedict XVI will pray the Angelus from Castelgandolfo and will make the trek back to the Vatican each Wednesday, where his General Audiences will resume, starting next week.