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Hotel Class: 
4 Stars - 20 Opinions
Via Spiaggia del Lago, 32, Castel Gandolfo, Italy,
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of people enjoy staying here
20 Opinions
Camera candy!
Flower clad balconies and terraces
My "treking friend" Valeria-Papal Palace entrance
Pathway up to Papal Palace entrance
I went to castel gandolfo in early 2008 and there was a dispute between the operators of the beaches (restaurants, seat sellers etc) and the local council, I think over ongoing rent issues.
Does anyone know if this dispute has now been resolved and if the businesses have re-opened?
Thanks
If this notice is correct (in Italian at http://www.parcocastelliromani.it/public/it/news/2008/archivio_080630.htm), then the dispute was between the park management (much of this area is part of a regional park) and all the moonlighters who had set up shop along the beaches of the lake. The local authorities believed that they were trashing up the place, ruining the locale (it looks like they have reduced the number of power boats allowed on the lake, for example), and (being unlicensed) not paying any rent to the park administration.
Having said that, I don't know what is happening at the moment, other than the adoption of a large plan called "Piano di Utilizzazione degli Arenili del lago" (Plan for the Utilization of the Lake Shores), which is detailed on the link on that page. Just glancing at the plan, I would say that some or many of those businesses will not reopen, but since the plan is in formal, legalese Italian, it's not clear to me what the effect on the ground will be.
Perhaps someone else has been there even more recently...
Bill
The pope is staying the month of august in Castel Gandolfo.
When he's feeling well, he is doing the mess on sundaymorning.
The swiss guardians are opening the gate and about 100 people can enter inside the palace to hear the pope speaking.
It's a very nice experience, because at that moment your are very close to the pope and surrounded by all very warm people who only want peace in the world.
While the Pope is in residence (generally late July through August), when possible, he holds the equivalent of a "general" audience. In Rome, the general audience is held on Sundays near noon, when the Pope speaks from his apartment windows to the crowds in St. Peter's Square. Here in Castel Gandolfo, the space and the feeling are considerably more intimate.
If you are planning on visiting Rome in late July or August and might want to take a side trip to Castel Gandolfo, contact your local parish priest before you leave and ask about how to get tickets to the audiences in Castel Gandolfo.
The third crater, we used to live here in a residence called ' miragolf '.
We still have a little apartment there, now used for renting to other people.
The third crater is also a big golf complex ( exclusive ) with some little lakes inside. Look over the crater..........do you see the the pope's summerpalace ?
Best known as the summer residence of the Pope, Castel Gandolfo provides the unique opportunity to see the Pope in a much more intimate setting than you have in Rome at St. Peter's.
Castel Gandolfo is one of the Castelli Romani, 16 historic towns dotted around the wooded Alban Hills and dominated by grand villas. Castel Gandolfo is little more than a pretty village clustered around the Papal Palace and the extensive gardens enjoyed by John Paul II. One of the first acts of his successor, Benedict XVI was to thank the people of Castel Gandolfo and assure them that he, too, would be spending his summers in their "beautiful little town" above Lake Albano.
Much of Castel Gandolfo is discreetly dedicated to the various Pontifical villas and religious foundations. The Papal Palace - with astronomical observatory attached - dominates Piazza della Libertà, but other locations, like the sprawling papal gardens, are tucked away out of sight.
On the main square, Piazza della Libertà, the church of San Tommaso di Villanova, designed by Bernini, sits down fr om the palace gateway. As well as a couple of cafes, there are also a few shops selling tourist fripperies in the piazza, perhaps with an eye to the faithful who arrive on summer Sundays to see the Pope.
The fountain you see here was planned by Bernini and dates back to 1661. The design is inspired by the plant of San Pietro and is similar to the Sant'Andrea della Valle fountain in Rome. The four spurts are supplied by fresh waters coming from the ancient "Malafitto" water system.
The papal tradition of spending summer here dates back to Pope Urban VIII (1623-1644). However, it wasn't the first time that an important Roman had summered on this spot; the pontifical gardens of the seventeenth-century Villa Barberini cover the site of a villa belonging to the Roman Emperor Domitian. The Pope's gardens are truly spectacular, but sadly not open to the general public. With splendid views reaching over the plain to the sea, they contain extensive formal areas, farmland and a large chamber dating back to the time of Domitian.
Castel Gandolfo is a sleepy little town and it's a pleasant spot to spend a few relaxing hours. The area is renowned for its local produce, and several establishments offer you the chance to taste and buy wine, meat and other local specialities. The town offers an excellent opportunity to appreciate Italian small-town atmosphere.
We drove to Castel Gandolfo on a quiet August Saturday with no traffic in 25 minutes from Trastevere. (More on transportation tip)
There is a tourist information kiosk (limited opening) close to the piazza (under an arch and down a slope) on Via Massimo d'Azeglio.
The town has a peach festival, the Sagra delle Pesche, on the
third Sunday in July. The patron saint is San Sebastiano, whose saint's day is celebrated in September.
The entire region of Castelli Romani is known for the excellence of their Frascati wines. For an idea of the controls maintained by the Frascati Consortium, a visit to this site will be informative: http://www.consorziofrascati.it/english/frame.html
By sending via cellular phone a S.M.S. stating the guarantee seal number on the neck of the bottle to the number 340 767.50.82, the computerized system will immediately answer, returning to your phone a message indicating the name of the bottler, the typology of wine, the year, the alcoholic degree, the fixed acidity, the dry extract. Amazing!
Linked with Castel Gandolfo is Lago Albano (referred to also as Lake Gandolfo) - check those pages for lakeside activity - and there is much - water sports and romantic nightlife. A healthy dose of fun with your blessings!
Surprise - Walk around the corner of the church of San Tommaso di Villanova and you will be greeted by a spectacular vista with panoramic view of Lago Albano and the lower Castel Gandolfo city.
Decend from the upper Castel Gandolfo to the bottom where you are lakeside and you will find lots of activity. Water sports abound on this lake, a unique garden beach setting (tip: Spiaggi Verde - the green beach), and wonderful night dancing at La Perla (tip: nightlife). More than just the Papal summer retreat here!
A ton of fun Lago Albano
Castel Gandolfo is a little village outside Rome. It is famous because it's the place where Pope goes during his summer vacations, but I can assure you it is a lovely village who deserves to be famous on its own.
It is the ideal place if you want to escape the city rush and the touristy activities - I don't know how it is during the time the Pope is here, but when I went there (Christmas time) there were so few people in the streets and the feeling was so peaceful and relaxing! It is now my 4th visit to a little city outside Rome, and I think everyone with a little more time should try and discover these little gems of 'real Italy'. I still have so many things to discover in Rome, and I love the city so much, but to get the real Italian feeling, you must avoid the tourist herds. That's no news, I suppose...
My first view of the village was the lake - it's absolutely beautiful! It was almost sunset and the water had the most incredible colours... Too bad it lasted only a few minutes, because it was really astonishing.
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Q: papal audience "myself and my wife are wanting to go to papal audience at castel gondolfo in august but are very concerned about location when..."
A: "So, do I understand that you will have already arranged for the tickets to enter the audience? Hmmmn, I assume it requires tickets because the courtyard is rather small -..."
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Address: Via Spiaggia del Lago, 32, Castel Gandolfo, Italy,
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