The simple bedroom which Pope Francis occupied for 12 years has resurfaced in the wake of his death – with fans praising his very humble lifestyle.
Pope Francis, who was laid to rest on Saturday after his death on Easter Monday, decided to remain in Casa Santa Marta, the guesthouse next to St Peter’s Basilica, rather than move to the Apostolic Palace when he became pontiff.
Rather than take over the traditional papal apartment, Francis lived in Room 201 – a suite of three rooms – from March 2013 to his death on April 21 this year.
Discussing this decision in 2013, Pope Francis said: ‘I chose to live here, in Room 201, because when I took possession of the papal apartment, inside myself I distinctly heard a “no”.’
Room 201 includes a small bedroom, an office and a reception room, all decorated with a few pieces of dark wood furniture – and a wooden crucifix hanging behind his desk.
In the office there are four chairs – including a more comfortable armchair – a simple desk and a cabinet, above which hangs the colourful image of a saint.
The minimal bedroom includes a small bed, two bedside cabinets, a large wardrobe, chest of drawers and another small chair. There are no decorations on the walls.
His sitting room has a five-piece sofa set in a powder blue colour, with a small TV on a desk to the side.
Another photograph of a bedroom inside Casa Santa Marta has circulated since Pope Francis’ death, claiming to be the room he inhabited in his later years.
However, this photograph was taken in 2005 – long before he became Pope. It has been suggested that he stayed there very briefly before moving to his larger suite.
But the true images of Room 201 have also caught the attention of fans of Pope Francis, who have praised his ‘simple’ and ‘inspiring’ life in Vatican City.
One person noted that there was very little modern technology in his rooms.
He said: ‘Don’t you see that the Pope’s [bed]room didn’t have a TV, table or six-seater sofa. Let’s be simple, guys.’
Another said: ‘Pope Francis’ life in Vatican was beautiful and inspiring. Pope Francis owned three personal items. One pair of black leather shoes made by a cobbler in Argentina, a Casio wristwatch, and his bible.
“He donated his salary to charity every year, lived in a small room with a single bed which he made every morning himself.”
A third noted: ‘Throughout his 12 years as Pope, Pope Francis made Room 201 at Casa Santa Marta his home.
‘This small bed is where he slept for 12 years.’
The papal apartment in the Apostolic Palace, where pontiffs typically live, is much larger than Francis’ three-room suite at Casa Santa Marta.
The pontiff said in 2013: ‘The papal apartment in the Apostolic Palace is not luxurious.
‘It is old, tastefully decorated and large, but not luxurious. But in the end it is like an inverted funnel. It is big and spacious, but the entrance is really tight.
‘People can come only in dribs and drabs, and I cannot live without people. I need to live my life with others.’
It is for this reason that Francis stayed in his second-storey suite in the guesthouse, which was originally built in 1996 to house cardinals during a conclave.
It features a total of 105 suites and 26 single rooms, half of which are occupied by permanent residents.
Casa Santa Marta is where Pope Francis spent his final days, after being discharged from Gemelli Hospital in Rome on March 23.
He died in his rooms on Easter Monday, and was laid to rest in a ceremony attended by upwards of 250,000 people on Saturday.
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