The area around the Centro Mariapoli Internazionale of Castel Gandolfo offers many opportunities to enjoy nature, art, history and food & wine.
CASTEL GANDOLFO
Castel Gandolfo, a town in the metropolitan city of Roma Capitale, is part of the circuit of the most beautiful villages in Italy. Known mainly for the presence of the papal summer residence, its territory includes almost all the coastal arch of Lake Albano with views of the volcanic cone of Monte Cavo.
The places of greatest historical, archaeological and tourist interest are: the Pontifical Palace, the collegiate church of San Tommaso da Villanova by Gian Lorenzo Bernini, the remains of the Villa Albana di Domiziano and the Regional Park of the Castelli Romani.
PALAZZO APOSTOLICO
The palace is the Pope's summer residence. It was commissioned by Pope Urban VIII in the 17th century and built by architects Carlo Maderno and Gian Lorenzo Bernini in Piazza della Libertà which Bernini himself embellished with a majestic fountain. The Palace dating back to 1660, rich in works of art, was opened to the public by Pope Francis. A multilingual audio guide helps the visitor in the journey and in the visit of the rich art gallery which traces the history of the Popes from 1600 to today.
GIARDINI BARBERINI
Inside the Pontifical Villas in Castel Gandolfo there is the magnificent Barberini Garden which extends for 55 hectares and is composed of: the Garden of the Roses, the Avenue of the aromatic Herbs, the avenue of the Nymphaeums, the Piazzale dei lecci and the Garden of the Belvedere. The garden rises above the remains of the Albanum Domitiani, a magnificent villa of antiquity built by the emperor Domitian. The gardens can be visited thanks to Pope Francis.
LAGO DI ALBANO
It is the fourth largest volcanic lake by width in Lazio and the deepest with it's 168 meters depth. Its geomorphological structure reflects that typical of volcanic lakes which, together with the nearby Lake Nemi, forms the volcanic complex of the Alban Hills.
The lake and it's coast is almost elliptical in shape, having been populated since the Bronze Age, are rich in interesting archaeological remains both prehistoric and, above all, Roman. One of these is the Macine Village, or the ancient artificial emissary of the lake.
There are also many sports activities that can be enjoyed around the lake and its waters. Canoeing and pedal boats are among the most practiced activities while the banks are easily accessible by jogging, mountain biking or a relaxing walk under the bush along the path that runs almost entirely along the shores of the lake and which allows you to closely observe the beauty of the body of water in all its nuances. Therefore a real treasure to be respected and lived in various ways.
VIE FRANCIGENE
Centro Mariapoli is located on the route of the Via Francigena, the first stop after Rome heading south. The Vie Francigene project is part of the vision of a great cultural itinerary of the Council of Europe which, through the "Mezzogiorno", you look towards the East and towards Jerusalem: a project of intercultural dialogue and interreligious between the shores of the Mediterranean.
CASTELLI ROMANI
An area of great touristic interest, Castelli Romani is a particular geographic area of Lazio, volcanic in nature and near Rome, where a group of municipalities of the Colli Albani are located. Traditionally the towns belonging to the Castelli Romani are: Albano Laziale, Ariccia, Castel Gandolfo, Colonna, Frascati, Genzano di Roma, Grottaferrata, Lanuvio, Marino, Monte Compatri, Monte Porzio Catone, Nemi, Rocca di Papa e Rocca Priora.