Discover Castel Gandolfo

Castel Gandolfo is a small town of roughly 8,900 residents, twenty-five kilometres southeast of Rome in the Alban Hills, in Lazio. It stands on a hilltop with panoramic views of Lake Albano and is one of I Borghi più belli d'Italia.

What it is known for internationally is the Apostolic Palace, which has served as the summer residence and vacation retreat for most popes since 1626. The palace sits inside the town's boundaries but holds extraterritorial status as a property of the Holy See, and is not under Italian jurisdiction.

Its status changed twice in recent years, and both changes matter to a visitor. It was transformed into a museum and opened to the public — the first time the papal apartments and gardens had been generally accessible. Then, in July 2025, the complex resumed its traditional role as the pope's summer residence, with Leo XIV staying six weeks. The main Apostolic Palace nonetheless remains a museum: the pope stays at Villa Barberini instead.

The town's territory takes in most of the western shore of Lake Albano, a volcanic crater lake, and runs up the slopes of the Alban Hills below Monte Cavo. The whole comune lies inside the Castelli Romani regional park.

Beyond the palace there is real substance: the remains of Domitian's imperial villa, the Roman outlet tunnel of Lake Albano, and the collegiate church of San Tommaso da Villanova, designed by Gian Lorenzo Bernini.

Why is Castel Gandolfo famous? It has been the summer residence and vacation retreat of most popes since 1626.

Can I go inside the papal palace? Yes. The Apostolic Palace was transformed into a museum and is now open to the public.

But doesn't the pope live there? Not in the main palace. The complex resumed its traditional status as the pope's summer residence in July 2025, with Leo XIV staying six weeks — at Villa Barberini, because the main Apostolic Palace remains a museum.

Is the palace in Italy? Legally, no. It holds extraterritorial status as a property of the Holy See and is not under Italian jurisdiction, although it stands inside the town's boundaries.

What is special about 2026? It is the four hundredth year since Urban VIII first made Castel Gandolfo an official papal residence, in 1626.

How do I get there from Rome? By train on the Rome–Albano line; the town has its own station just below the historic centre. It is twenty-five kilometres southeast of the city.

What is the lake? Lake Albano, a volcanic crater lake. The comune takes in most of its western shore.

Was this Alba Longa? Possibly. The site is a candidate for the legendary capital of the Latin League, but it is a candidacy, not a settled fact. Domitian's development of the site into a vast palace is not in doubt.

Who designed the parish church? Gian Lorenzo Bernini, between 1658 and 1661, for the Chigi pope Alexander VII. It has a square Greek-cross plan and a Crucifixion by Pietro da Cortona.

What happened here in the war? Pius XII opened the grounds to refugees from the fighting around Rome. From 22 January 1944 some twelve thousand people arrived, many of them Roman Jews; thirty-six children were born there, and the pope's private apartment became a nursery.

Is it one of the official "most beautiful villages"? Yes — it is a member of I Borghi più belli d'Italia.