Photo Gallery Village Opens Pope's Childhood Home
A column in honor of Pope Benedict XVI stands in front of the house where he was born in Markl am Inn, Germany.
A sign on the freshly painted faced of the building marks the site of the pope's birth on April 16, 1927.
A carpenter works in the backyard of the pope's birhplace. The museum is expected to open on April 16, 2007, the pope's 80th birthday.
A painter puts the finishing touches on a fresh coat of paint inside the home, which was built in 1745.
Frustrated by the mass of media and tourists, as well as pressure from the city, the home's owner sold the building in 2006, paving the way for it to become a museum.
The pope last visited his hometown when he came to Germany in September. His appointment as pope has led to a tourism boom here, with the number of annual tourists rising from 2,000 to 200,000.
