Castel Gandolfo, a Castelli Romani village perched above Lake Albano, has been the popes' summer residence since the 17th century. Leo XIV resumed staying at Castel Gandolfo in 2025: the Papal Palace, run by the Vatican Museums, remains open to visitors, but on an adjusted calendar. It was closed in July 2026 and, in October 2026, it is closed on Tuesdays; on other days it opens at 9:00am, with last entry at 1:00pm on weekdays and 5:00pm at weekends. The Papal Palace and Secret Garden ticket costs €12 (€6 reduced, free under 7). The gardens of the Pontifical Villas, including the former gardens of Villa Barberini, are visited separately as part of the Borgo Laudato si', on foot or by electric minibus.
Highlights
The Papal Palace
Its facade closes off Piazza della Libertà. The visitor route, with an audio guide, passes through the historic rooms and the papal apartments, and traces five centuries of papal stays.
The Secret Garden and the Garden of the Moor
These two palace gardens are included in the Papal Palace ticket.
The astronomical domes
The two domes on the palace roof once housed the telescopes of the former Vatican Observatory. Visiting them requires a separate ticket, on the official Vatican Museums ticketing site.
The gardens of the Pontifical Villas
As part of the Borgo Laudato si', a route crosses the Italian-style gardens, the avenues and the remains of Emperor Domitian's villa. You can follow it on foot with a guide or by electric minibus with an audio guide.
Piazza della Libertà
The village's main square brings together the palace, a fountain and the Church of Saint Thomas of Villanova, designed by Bernini.
Lake Albano
This volcanic crater lake lies below the village. The viewpoints in the centre offer a sweeping view down over the water and the Alban Hills.
Infos pratiques
Tips
Prices checked in October 2026: €12 for the Papal Palace and Secret Garden ticket, €6 for ages 7 to 18, students up to 25 and clergy, free under 7. Book on the official Vatican Museums ticketing site, the only authorised online seller: resellers often charge inflated prices. The Family rate (free from the second child) can only be bought at the palace ticket office. The opening calendar changes depending on the Pope's presence: check it before you go. The Borgo Laudato si' opens on Monday and Wednesday to Friday from 10:00am to 4:00pm (last entry 3:00pm), on Tuesday from 9:00am to 2:00pm and at weekends from 10:00am to 6:00pm (last entry 5:00pm), with the entrance on Via Massimo D'Azeglio. To extend your day at the Vatican, see our page on the [Vatican Museums](/fr/attractions/musees-du-vatican).
How to get there
Piazza della Libertà, 00073 Castel Gandolfo (RM). By train: FL4 regional line from Roma Termini to Castel Gandolfo station, 41 to 45 minutes, ticket €2.10; roughly one train an hour, with occasional gaps in the late morning. The station is a few hundred metres from the centre, up a hill. By bus: Cotral buses from the Anagnina terminal (metro line A). More details in our guide to [getting around Rome](/fr/articles/transports-rome).
Opening hours
Nearby
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