Castel Gandolfo

Popes escaped the Roman summer here from the 1620s, in a palace on the rim of the Albano crater looking down on the lake. Francis chose not to use it, and from 2014 the gardens and from 2016 the papal apartments opened as a museum, so the bedroom, the private chapel and the study can be seen. The gardens run over the ruins of Domitian's villa and include a working farm that once supplied the Vatican with milk and eggs. Barberini's town below has a Bernini fountain and church. The lake beneath hosted the 1960 Olympic rowing events.

Background

Castel Gandolfo, known locally as Castello, is a small town 25 kilometres southeast of Rome on a hilltop in the Alban Hills, at about 426 metres above Lake Albano. It had 8940 residents in 2017 and belongs to the association of the most beautiful villages of Italy. The papal palace here has been a summer retreat for most popes since 1626, and in July 2025 the complex again became the pope's summer residence. The town takes in almost the whole shore of Lake Albano, lined with villas built in the 17th century, and the lake hosted the rowing events of the 1960 Olympics.

Source: Wikipedia, "Castel Gandolfo"

What's there

• The papal apartments - bedroom, chapel and study, opened as a museum in 2016.
• The Barberini Gardens - terraces laid over the ruins of Domitian's villa.
• The papal farm - the dairy and gardens that supplied the Vatican.
• Lake Albano - the crater lake below, used for the 1960 Olympic rowing.

When to go

April to October; palace and gardens close Sundays and some holidays, and garden visits are timed. Summer weekends draw Roman day trippers.

Before you go

Garden entry is a timed guided visit and books out. The town is small and quickly seen. Lake access below involves a steep descent and limited parking.

Nearby

Ariccia lies south; Frascati is northeast.