Castel Gandolfo

Castel Gandolfo
Città di Castel Gandolfo
The town of Castel Gandolfo overlooking Lake Albano
The town of Castel Gandolfo overlooking Lake Albano
Coat of arms of Castel Gandolfo
Location of Castel Gandolfo
Map
Castel Gandolfo is located in Italy
Castel Gandolfo
Castel Gandolfo
Location of Castel Gandolfo in Italy
Castel Gandolfo is located in Lazio
Castel Gandolfo
Castel Gandolfo
Castel Gandolfo (Lazio)
Coordinates: 41°44′49″N 12°39′07″E / 41.74694°N 12.65194°E / 41.74694; 12.65194
CountryItaly
RegionLazio
Metropolitan cityRome
FrazioniMole di Castel Gandolfo, Pavona
Government
 • MayorMilvia Monachesi[1]
Area
 • Total
14.19 km2 (5.48 sq mi)
Elevation
426 m (1,398 ft)
Population
 (31 May 2017)[3]
 • Total
8,940
DemonymCastellani
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code
00040
Dialing code06
Patron saintSt. Sebastian (San Sebastiano)
Saint dayJanuary 20
WebsiteOfficial website

Castel Gandolfo (UK: /ˌkæstɛl ɡænˈdɒlf/,[4] US: /kɑːˌstɛl ɡɑːnˈdlf, -ˈdɔːl-/,[5][6] Italian: [kaˈstɛl ɡanˈdɔlfo]; Latin: Castrum Gandulphi), colloquially known as Castello in the Castelli Romani dialects, is a town located 25 km (16 mi) southeast of Rome, in the Italian region of Lazio.[7] Situated on a hilltop in the Alban Hills with panoramic views of Lake Albano, Castel Gandolfo is home to approximately 8,900 residents and is renowned as one of Italy's most scenic towns.[8] It is one of I Borghi più belli d'Italia ("The most beautiful villages of Italy").[9]

Within the town's boundaries lies the Apostolic Palace of Castel Gandolfo, which served as a summer residence and vacation retreat for the pope, the leader of the Catholic Church. Although the palace is located within the borders of Castel Gandolfo, it holds extraterritorial status as one of the properties of the Holy See and is not under Italian jurisdiction. It has been transformed into a museum and is now open to the public.[1]

The resort community encompasses almost the entire coastline of Lake Albano, which is surrounded by numerous summer residences, villas, and cottages that were constructed during the 17th century. It is also home to the Stadio Olimpico, which hosted the rowing events during the Rome Olympics.

Castel Gandolfo has several places of archaeological interest, including the Emissario del Lago Albano and the remains of the Villa of Domitian. The area is included within the boundaries of the Parco Regionale dei Castelli Romani (Regional Park of Castelli Romani). There are also many points of artistic interest, such as the Collegiate Church of St. Thomas of Villanova, designed by Gian Lorenzo Bernini.

  1. ^ a b "Papal summer residence, shunned by Francis, opened to public". Reuters. 21 October 2016.
  2. ^ "Superficie di Comuni Province e Regioni italiane al 9 ottobre 2011". Italian National Institute of Statistics. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
  3. ^ "Popolazione Residente al 1° Gennaio 2018". Italian National Institute of Statistics. Retrieved 16 March 2019.
  4. ^ "Castel Gandolfo". Lexico UK English Dictionary. Oxford University Press. Archived from the original on 2021-10-28.
  5. ^ "Castel Gandolfo". The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (5th ed.). HarperCollins. Retrieved 4 August 2019.
  6. ^ "Castel Gandolfo". Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary. Merriam-Webster. Retrieved 4 August 2019.
  7. ^ "Castel Gandolfo". Retrieved 7 June 2019.
  8. ^ I borghi più belli d'Italia: Castel Gandolfo
  9. ^ "Lazio" (in Italian). Retrieved 1 August 2023.