Pope Leo XIV will stay during his visit to Spain at the Apostolic Nunciature of Madrid and at the Episcopal Palaces of Barcelona and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.
The choice of these spaces responds to the usual protocol for papal trips, but also places the visit in locations with significant historical and institutional weight. Madrid will be the first stop, before the Pope continues his agenda in Barcelona and the Canary Islands.
Madrid: the Apostolic Nunciature
In Madrid, Leo XIV will stay at the Apostolic Nunciature, located at number 46 Pío XII Avenue, in the Chamartín district. It is the embassy of the Holy See in Spain and was already used as accommodation by John Paul II and Benedict XVI during their visits to the country.
The current building was inaugurated in 1958, although the history of the Nunciature in Spain dates back several centuries. For more than two hundred years, its headquarters were in the Palace of the Nuncio, in the Madrid of the Habsburgs, a baroque building built between 1731 and 1735.
That property is considered the first nunciature in the world, a singularity that explains why the nuncio in Spain is, by tradition, the dean of the diplomatic corps.
Barcelona: the Episcopal Palace in the Gothic Quarter
In Barcelona, the Pope will stay at the Episcopal Palace, the official residence of the Archbishop of Barcelona. The building is located in the heart of the Gothic Quarter, next to the Cathedral of the Holy Cross and Saint Eulalia.
Its construction began in 1253 and it is listed as a Cultural Asset of Local Interest. The space has already hosted other pontiffs: Benedict XVI slept there in 2010, during the trip in which he consecrated the Sagrada Familia, and John Paul II also stayed at the palace in 1982.
The stay in Barcelona will have special relevance within the trip, as Leo XIV will participate in religious and cultural events linked to the city and the Sagrada Familia basilica.
Las Palmas: a 16th-century Episcopal Palace
In Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Leo XIV will stay overnight at the Episcopal Palace, located in the historic neighborhood of Vegueta, next to the Cathedral of Santa Ana.
The building, of historical origin, dates from the 16th century and will be one of the most notable points of the Canary Islands stage of the trip. The Pope will occupy an independent area on the upper floor, equipped with four bedrooms.
Leo XIV will be the second head of state to stay overnight in this palace, after Alfonso XIII, which adds a historical element to the Pope's visit to the Canary Islands.
Accommodations with Institutional and Historical Value
The three chosen accommodations combine functionality, security, and symbolic value. The Apostolic Nunciature represents the diplomatic presence of the Holy See in Spain, while the episcopal palaces of Barcelona and Las Palmas connect the visit with historical seats of the Church in two key cities of the itinerary.
The stay of Leo XIV in these buildings is part of an agenda that combines institutional acts, religious celebrations, and social gatherings during his first apostolic trip to Spain.