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 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.

Map of Castel Gandolfo

By road follow the Appia Nuova, which begins at San Giovanni Basilica in Rome. A few kilometers past Ciampino Airport take a left up the hill to Castel Gandolfo.

There are infrequent trains from Rome’s Termini station.

• 41.746912.65211 Castel Gandolfo railway station (Stazione di Castel Gandolfo). (updated Nov 2020)

• 41.747112.65031 Papal Palace of Castel Gandolfo (Palazzo Apostolico di Castel Gandolfo), Piazza della Libertà, 00073 Castel Gandolfo RM (By car. By train, use a dedicated bus service, Castel Gandolfo Link, to reach the historical centre and papal castle Monday to Saturday; use Trenitalia website or app to book a train+bus ticket (use the Castel Gandolfo Ville Pontificie stop as a destination).), ☏ (+39) 06 69883411 / 06 69883145 / 06 69883332FORMATNOCC, [email protected], [email protected], [email protected] (for guided tour request)MULTIPLE-EMAIL. Mon-Fri: 9.00-1.00 pm / Sat: 9.00-5.00 pm / Sun: 10.00-5.00 pm. 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. An audioguide is helpful to make sense of this place. €12 adults; €5 students and children; €8 observatory; €3 audioguide (Italian, English). (updated Jun 2025) See the Castel Gandolfo Link timetable.
• 41.7512.6652 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. (updated Jan 2019)

• Ristorante Pagnanelli, Via Antonio Gramsci n°4 (On the corner of the road that leads from the town down to the lake), ☏ +39 06 9360004, [email protected]. Well-regarded restaurant with great views of the lake, good food and an excellent wine list. Jane, who with her husband runs the restaurant, is Australian, so look for delicacies such as “Patate al Australiano (Australian potatoes)”. The restaurant also has a wine bar in the basement, built into the volcanic rock and extending almost under the Pope’s Palace. 

• Castelli Romani Castel Gandolfo is situated on the northwesterly edge of this area of attractive towns and villages.
• Frascati, about 10 km away, is famous for its wines and Renaissance villas.

Modern Center, Rome ← South Rome ←

NW  SE

→ Albano Laziale → END