Things to see in Castel Gandolfo

Castel Gandolfo is a city in the province of Rome. It is in the area southeast of Rome known as the Castelli Romani and is mainly known as the summer residence of the Pope. It overlooks the 10-km circumference of Lake Albano, an extinct volcanic crater, which is a popular destination for Romans on summer weekends and has many restaurants. Castel Gandolfo is part of the “Dan Brown” tour, having featured in the book The Da Vinci Code.

The two telescopes of the Vatican Observatory were moved from Rome to Castel Gandolfo in 1934 and were still used until the 1980s. However, the lights of Rome now render them pretty useless and the Vatican Observatory is these days hosted by the University of Arizona.

Papal Palace of Castel Gandolfo (Palazzo Apostolico di Castel Gandolfo). The Pope's summer residence is a 17th-century building in the centre of the town. It was abandoned in 1870 due to the fall of the Papal states, until 1929 when, after the Lateran Treaty, it became once again the summer residence of the Popes. Pope Pius XII (1958) and Pope Paul VI (1978) died at Castel Gandolfo. The Secret Garden and the public and private apartments of the castle are open to the public. See the Castel Gandolfo Link timetable. Lago Albano (Lake Albano). You can walk or run all the way round the lake. This is mainly road but there are 3 km (1.9 mi) or so that follow a rough track through a wood. Swimming is possible and there are a few small beaches of volcanic sand.