Palace of Castel Gandolfo

Palace of Castel Gandolfo
Native name
Palazzo Apostolico di Castel Gandolfo (Italian)
The facade of the Apostolic Palace of Castel Gandolfo in 2015.
Coordinates41°44′49.56″N 12°39′1.08″E / 41.7471000°N 12.6503000°E / 41.7471000; 12.6503000
Area135-acre
Governing bodyHoly See
Palace of Castel Gandolfo is located in Lazio
Palace of Castel Gandolfo
Location of Palace of Castel Gandolfo in Lazio

The Papal Palace of Castel Gandolfo, or the Apostolic Palace of Castel Gandolfo from its Italian name Palazzo Apostolico di Castel Gandolfo, is a 135-acre (54.6-ha) complex of buildings in a garden setting in the city of Castel Gandolfo, Italy, including the principal 17th-century villa, an observatory and a farmhouse with 75 acres (30.4 ha) of farmland. The main structure, the Papal Palace, has been a museum since October 2016. It served for centuries as a summer residence and vacation retreat for the pope, the leader of the Catholic Church, and is afforded extraterritorial status as one of the properties of the Holy See. It overlooks Lake Albano.

Prospetto della Piazza di Castello Gandolfo by Giovanni Battista Falda