City of Castel Gandolfo, Italy: sights, photos, how to get there

2024 Author: Harold Hamphrey | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:06

For many tourists, Rome is a real fairy tale. Beautiful fountains, streets and houses - everything here is impressive and makes you fall in love with the city at first sight. But no less interesting for tourists are the surroundings of Rome. One such place is Castel Gandolfo.

Historical background

The history of Castel Gandolfo (Italy) began a millennium BC. According to ancient legends, Ascanius (son of Aeneas) founded the city of Alba Longa here. In the erected temple of Vesta, a flame brought from Troy always burned. Legend has it that the future founders of Rome, Romulus and Remus, were born in the city. After the arrival of the Romans, the Appian Way appeared. Gradually, palaces and villas of we althy patricians began to be built. After many years, the region was destroyed due to the raids of the barbarians. Therefore, for the next 300 years no one lived here. And only three centuries later, we althy Romans again began to build residences. They were built in the form of impregnable and fortified castles. One of them was Castel Gandolfo, which served as the residence for the Gandolfo family from Genoa.

In the eraIn the Middle Ages, Pope Clement attached the castle to the church property. A monastery was founded here. And in 1628, Pope Urban VIII settled in Castel Gandolfo, because he could not stand the city heat. On his orders, the architect Carlo Moderna was commissioned to build a castle on the site of Gandolfo. Since then, the new palace has become the summer residence of the pope. The rich history of the town makes the locals proud of it. Currently, it is under the protection of not only the Vatican, but is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Description of the city

Castel Gandolfo near Rome is one of the most outstanding places in the vicinity of the capital. Here you can admire the most beautiful landscapes, listen to the birds singing, breathe in the air and enjoy walking along the local streets. The sights of Castel Gandolfo (Italy) are of interest to tourists and pilgrims coming to the city.

Perhaps no one would have known about a small town in the vicinity of Rome if the residence of the Pope had not been located here. All streets invariably lead guests to the papal palace. But only close people and cardinals can get inside the castle. But you can admire the palace from the outside.

How to get to Castel Gandolfo from Rome?

A small town is located in the center of the country. Its population is only seven thousand people. Castel Gandolfo is located on the west coast of Lake Albano, which originated in the crater of an extinct volcano. The distance from the city to the Tyrrhenian Sea is 40kilometers.

Rome is only 25 kilometers away. Such a close location makes it possible to quickly reach all travelers who wish to see the papal residence and the sights of the town. How to get to Castel Gandolfo? The easiest way to get there is by car on a straight road. You can also get there by train, which leaves from Rome every hour. The train journey takes 45 minutes.

Papal residence today

For most visitors to the city, the most famous attraction is the papal residence. But this is far from true. There are other attractions in the city as well. As we have already mentioned, the building of the palace was erected during the period of Pope Urban VIII, who treated Castel Gandolfo with great love. He liked the cozy corner, surrounded by the Albanian mountains.

The Pontifex was a true connoisseur and connoisseur of architecture, floristry, and sculpture. He did a lot to decorate not only the palace, but also the surrounding area. Later, Villa Barberini was added to the papal residence. In the period 1870-1929. the palace belonged to the Vatican, but it was not popular with the heads of the church. But now the situation has changed, and the pontiffs prefer to spend the whole summer in the residence, trying to escape the heat that reigns in the Vatican.

The castle building is located on the western coast of the lake, its windows offer a unique view that will not leave anyone indifferent.

Sights,located near the papal palace

The sights of Castel Gandolfo include the central Freedom Square, located near the papal palace. It has a fountain by the famous Bernini. It is not as beautiful as the other works of the master, but still deserves attention.

Villa Barberini is located near the southern part of the palace. You can admire it if you go around the papal residence along a narrow street braided on the sides with weaving plants. At one time, Tadeo Barberini often rested in the villa. He loved this beautiful place.

Very nearby are the remains of the villa of the Roman Emperor Domitian, who escaped the heat in Castel Gandolfo in the summer. In 1930, an observatory from the Vatican was moved to the city, which is considered the oldest in Europe. Its white domes are views from anywhere in the city. The observatory has two telescopes designed to observe celestial bodies. Currently they are in working condition, but they are used very rarely. The observatory was actively used for no more than 50 years. All observations are now conducted in Arizona. But the Castel Gandolfo Observatory still holds the works of Galileo Galilei and Giordano Bruno.

Lake Albano

Another attraction of Castel Gandolfo (photo is given in the article) is Lake Albano, the depth of which reaches 170 meters. Such great depths are explained by volcanic origin. The water in the lake has a stunning turquoise blue hue. Numerous tourists come to the townadmire its beauty of the reservoir and take beautiful photos as a keepsake.

It is worth noting that stunning landscapes are the main we alth of the province. The city is located in a very picturesque place. Currently, in Castel Gandolfo, the coast of the lake is equipped with a beautiful promenade. There are beaches here, and yachts sail on the water surface. Rich mansions and villas were built on the coast. In general, the place is incredibly picturesque, you can appreciate its beauty only by seeing it live.

Kibo Villa

Not far from the papal palace is another villa that was attached to the apartments of the pontiffs. It was named after the cardinal for whom it was built. Pope Clement in 1774 purchased it from the Duke of Modena, who was at that time its owner, for a very decent amount.

The modern papal residence is a complex of buildings from different eras, combined into a single whole.

Church of Saint Thomas

The city has several temples worthy of the attention of tourists. Among them is the Church of St. Thomas of Villanova, built in the seventeenth century. Its architect was Bernini. The square building is made in the form of a symmetrical Greek cross. The temple is equipped with a large dome, which is stunningly beautifully decorated from the inside. In the interiors of the church, you should pay attention to the famous works of Pietro da Cortona.

Interesting temples of the city

One of the sights of the city is the Church of Our Lady of the Lake, which was commissioned at the insistence of Pope Paul VI. Churchwas consecrated by him in 1977. No less interesting is the church of Santa Maria Susanna, which began to be built in 1619. In addition, there are still several churches in the city: Santa Maria, Santa Maria della Cona.

In Castel Gandolfo you can see villas built from different eras. All of them differ in external decoration. One of them is the Villa "Santa Catarina", which houses the North American College for Pontiffs. During its construction, workers discovered fragments of earlier buildings from the Roman period.

Another Villa "Torlonia", built in the sixteenth century by the Justiniani family from Rome. The building acquired its modern appearance later, in 1829. From the windows of the villa offers a unique view of the plain.

On the west coast of Lake Albano is the bath of the ancient nymphaeum of Diana. It is located in a round cave, the width of which reaches 17 meters. The floors in the grotto are paved with ancient mosaics, fragments of which have survived to this day.

Reviews of tourists

According to tourists, Castel Gandolfo is a very small but cute town that can leave only the most pleasant impressions. When you get into it, it seems that time has stopped here a couple of centuries ago. Everything around is so beautiful that you don't want to go anywhere.

Experienced tourists definitely recommend to sit in one of the restaurants on the waterfront and ride a boat or catamaran on the lake. Well, a trip on a yacht in general can give tourists a lotimpressions. According to travelers, the main attraction of the region is not ancient buildings, but natural beauties.

Young people who come to the city tend to have a good time on the lakeshore. But pilgrims are more interested in the papal residence. Of course, it will not be possible to get inside it, but you can take a walk in the garden. Not so long ago, the inner garden was open to guests. Therefore, everyone can walk along it.

The small town is very interesting for tourists. Of course, it does not have as many attractions as in Rome. But it is not without its charm. It is not for nothing that the pontiffs chose him at one time.