JOHN PAUL II VACATIONS IN THE ITALIAN ALPS

VATICAN CITY, JUL 10, 2001 (VIS) - Pope John Paul has returned for the ninth time to Les Combes d'Introd, in the Valle d'Aosta region of northwestern Italy, to spend a brief vacation period in the midst of mountains which have been a part of his life since his childhood in Poland.

The villa where the Pope is staying was completed just before his sojourn there last summer. When he first saw the new house at that time, he had protested, asking "Was the villa made especially for me?" He was reassured that the house, owned by the Salesians, was put to good use throughout the year and, in fact, was used during the winter months as a ski stop.

The villa is a modified chalet-style, two-story building of stone and wood and is surrounded by a large garden and forest. Built at an altitude of 1,200 meters, it overlooks the celebrated Mont Blanc and other mountains on the Italian-French-Swiss borders.

The small papal apartment, and that of his secretary, are located on the first floor of the residence. The other guest rooms are on the ground floor and will be occupied by the three nuns who accompanied the Holy Father to Les Combes, as well as by his personal physician, the Pope's successor at the chair of ethics at the University of Lublin, Poland, and Holy See Press Office Director, Joaquin Navarro-Valls. Also on the ground floor is the kitchen and living room/dining room area.

Only one public event is on John Paul's schedule between now and his early evening departure for Rome on July 20. He will recite the angelus this coming Sunday in the presence of a number of faithful who live in or are visiting the area.

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