Pope
Francis has announced that from this month the gardens of his summer residence at
Castel Gandolfo will be open to the public. The rarely used castle and
surrounding 55 hectare estate are
situated in the Alban hills about 20 miles from Rome and include ornamental
gardens, terraces with sea views, the remains of an imperial Roman villa and a
small farm that supplies the Vatican with milk and butter as well as eggs,
honey, and olives.
Then
tradition of this summer refuge from the heat and chaos of Roma was initiated
by Pope Clement VII in the 16th century when he seized the castle
and grounds from the Savelli family in lieu of unpaid debts. Pope Benedict XVI
also used to spend his summers there as well as a brief period of time just
after he stepped down from the papacy in 2013. Pope Francis however has
indicated that he would rather work on his campaign and remain in Rome than
continue the tradition.
The
spectacular view of lake Albano from the property has inspired many artists
including Corot and Turner and there a numerous stunning religious works
of art within the complex and a fountain by Bernini graces the piazza facing
the apostolic palace.
The gardens
will be open every morning from Monday to Saturday with tickets costing 26 euro
each. Guided visits in a variety of languages can be booked through the website
of the Vatican Museums.
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