A couple of days ago it became known that the residence of the Pope in the small town of Castel Gondolfo, which is located on the shores of a picturesque lake near Rome, will open its doors to visitors.
Shortly after the Epiphany, the new director of the residence in Castell Gandolfo, Osavaldo Gianoli, took over and replaced his predecessor, Saverio Petrillo. Before Janoli got accustomed to a new place, his first project hit his desk: Pope Francis expressed the wish that his summer residence, in which he is extremely rare, should be open to residents and visitors of the city.
Story
By the way, in the residence of the pontiff there is something to see. It belongs to the Vatican since the end of the 16th century. In the Middle Ages, the entire town of Castel Gandolfo was the property of the Counts di Tuscolo, and then was in the possession of the Gandolfo family.
Later, the city again replaced its owner, who could not pay the debts incurred on him. At the insistence of Pope Clement VII, the picturesque place passed rightfully into the possession of the Holy See. However, the papal palace was erected only a few centuries later. Roman architect Carlo Maderna received an order to create a project for the residence of the Pope only in 1698. The Palace of the Pontiffs was built on the same site where the castle of the Tuscolo and Gandolfo families used to be.
Pope Urban VII, during the time of which the papal palace was built, he loved this secluded town, surrounded by the Albanian mountains (Colli Albani) and the Albanian lake (Lago Albano).
Being a true connoisseur of architecture, sculpture and floristry, the pontiff had his hand in decorating not only the interior of the palace, but also the surrounding territories. Later, Villa Barberini was added to the papal residence. From 1870 to 1929, the palace belonging to the Holy See did not enjoy special popularity among the leaders of the Catholic Church, but now the pontiffs prefer to spend almost the entire summer here, trying to hide from the smog and stuffiness that inevitably overtakes them in the Vatican.
Where is
The residence of the Pope is located on the western slope of Lake Albanian, from where a view of amazing beauty opens up that cannot leave anyone indifferent.
So, the charm of these places also enveloped the Russian artist Alexander Ivanov, who wrote the marvelous painting “A Tree Above Water in Castel Gandolfo”.
The town itself is saturated with numerous legends and beliefs. So, locals will be happy to reveal to you exactly what the founders of Rome were born here - the brothers Romulus and Remus. This story evokes a genuine sense of pride among the townspeople who claim that the Latin land came from here.
You will not regret it if you decide to devote one day to visiting all the beauties of this amazing city. Going here is not only for the papal summer palace. In Castel Gandolfo there are several beautiful churches, villas and other residences. To get to the town is not difficult.
How to get to Castel Gandolfo?
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- If you are traveling by car, you need to go onto the SS 7 Appia Nuova highway and drive at number 23. Numerous road signs will not let you get lost. We sincerely recommend using the most reliable and cheap service for finding a car rental in Italy. For example, you can rent a car for a day for only 18-30 euros.
- You can also get to Castel Gandolfo by bus from Romeby buying tickets for a direct route from Anagnina Bus Station. Tickets cost 2.6 euros.
- And finally, if you are an adherent of trainsyou should get to Termini Station, take the train in the direction of Albano Laziale and get off at Castel Gandolf station. A train ticket will cost you up to 3 euros.
Have a good trip and have a pleasant experience!
