Views from Castel Gandolfo: 'a new era is coming'

Views from Castel Gandolfo: 'a new era is coming'

The scenes in Castel Gandolfo were in marked contrast to the solemn goodbyes for Benedict inside the Vatican. Among the crowd there was joy that the small village was welcoming him into its midst for a while â€" and sadness that it was witnessing him as

Pope tells crowds at Castel Gandolfo: 'I am no longer pope, I am a pilgrim starting the last part of his pilgrimage on Earth' - broadcast.

The palace doors in Castel Gandolfo have just swung open and two Swiss Guards have appeared standing at attention.

A living Pope hasn't stepped down since Gregory XII nearly 600 years ago. Unofficially, the cardinals have already begun their discussions about succession, and the new "Pope Emeritus" begins his move to into his beautiful retirement home Castel Gandolfo.

Pope Benedict XVI leaves the Vatican for the Italian town of Castel Gandolfo, where he spends the final hours of his papacy. The 85-year-old pontiff boards an Italian air force helicopter to fly him to the papal summer retreat, where he delivers his