Pope Leo's Illinois childhood home to become tourist site / Photo: Andreas SOLARO - AFP
NYSE - LSE
Pope Leo's Illinois childhood home to become tourist site
Pope Leo XIV's childhood home has been sold to the village where he grew up, which intends to make it a historical site, local media reported Friday.
The modest brick home in the Chicago suburb of Dolton, population 21,000, was sold by its current owner for $375,000, WGN television said.
It said the owner had bought the house for $66,000 last year -- prior to Pope Leo's election as the first American pontiff -- and done extensive renovations.
The Dolton village board of trustees voted earlier this month to purchase the three-bedroom house and turn it into an attraction open to the public.
According to WBEZ Chicago radio, the parents of Pope Leo -- born Robert Prevost -- bought the house in 1949 and sold it in 1996.
G.Bartolo--JdM
