Castel Gandolfo is one of a group of small hill towns near Rome that are collectively known as the Castelli Romani. The town is best known for being the place where the Pope has his summer residence. It is located on a hill-top looking out over Lake Albano, to the south of the capital.
Castel Gandolfo city guide
Tourist information
There is a tourist information office in the Via Palazzo Pontificio, 6 (Tel. +39 06 935918235). The city hall of Castel Gandolfo is located in the Piazza della Libertà, 7 (tel. +39 06 935 9181). The ZIP code is 00040 and its area code, like that of Rome itself, is 06.
Tourist attractions, what to see in Castelgondolfo
The main square of Castel Gandolfo is the Piazza della Libertà, with a central fountain attributed to Gian Lorenzo Bernini and the two main buildings of the city, the church of San Tommaso di Villanova and, especially, the Palazzo Pontificio. A special point of interest is the world’s oldest letterbox.
Although it is not certain that the fountain in the Piazza della Libertà was actually designed by Bernini (other hypotheses are Borromini and Maderno), he must have been involved in some way, since, during the papacy of Pope Alexander VII (from 1655 till 1667), he was responsible for all the works in Castel Gandolfo. The fountain was last restored in 1992.
A visit to the Palazzo Pontificio will take several hours. Until the papacy of Franciscus, this building was the traditional summer residence of the Pope. The visit includes the Palazzo Apostolico, the gardens (except when it rains), the Specola, the Papal Apartments and a permanent exhibition about the World War II bombings of Castel Gandolfo. Make sure that you don’t visit on a rainy day, because tickets are not cheap and there is no discount when the gardens are closed.
The Palazzo Apostolico was built in 1624, by order of Pope Urban VIII. The architect was Carlo Maderno. This building, which has often been restored, includes the Specola Vaticana, an Observatory. Its halls and rooms are decorated with frescoes and tapestries.
The church of San Tommaso di Villanova was designed by Bernini and contains decorations by Pietro da Cortona and Cortese.
The Papal villas consist of three buildings, the Villa Barberini, the Palazzo Apostolico and the Villa Cybo.The most interesting area of the Villa Barberini is the beautiful papal garden, which requires another (and again, not cheap) entrance fee.
The main street of the small historical centre is the Corso della Repubblica, which is pedestrian. It is lined by mostly souvenir shops and restaurants, some of which with outdoor space.
The Villa Torlonia consists of a complex of buildings in the centre of a park. The gardens of the villa are punctuated by neoclassical statues.
There are some Roman nymphaeums on the territory.
The church of the Madonna del Lago is located on the banks of the lake.
A brief history of Castel Gandolfo
The area comprising present day Castel Gandolfo has known human settlements since the Late Stone Age (between 50,000 and 12,000 years ago). It was in this same area that the legendary city of Alba Longa was supposedly founded by Aeneas. In the 7th century BC, still if legend is to be believed, this city was destroyed by Tullus Hostilius, the third King of Rome.
In the imperial age, wealthy and influential Romans had their residences built here. One of these was the Emperor Domitian.
During the 12th century a family called Gandolfi constructed themselves a castle on the site. From the end of the 13th century till 1596 this was a fief of the Savelli.
In 1608, after Pope Clement VIII had acquired it, he turned it into a property of the Holy See and the official papal summer residence.
Since 1871 Castel Gandolfo has enjoyed the right of extraterritoriality.
Public transport
From Roma Termini there is a direct train to Castel Gandolfo. However, the station is at the bottom of the hill and the walk to the centre is fairly steep. Turn right from the station and take the first left. Follow the Via della Stazione till you come to the top. Alternatively, from Rome take the underground to the last stop on line A (Anagnina), followed by a bus to Castel Gandolfo. If you plan to visit more of the Castelli Romani, the towns are connected by several bus lines.
Festivals
- A peach festival takes place every 3rd Sunday in July.
- Saint Sebastian is the patron saint of the city and the holiday associated with this saint is celebrated in September.
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