Palazzo Pontificio
Palazzo Pontificio
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4.0
216 reviews
Excellent
98
Very good
69
Average
28
Poor
9
Terrible
12
Mark3500
Nottinghamshire, UK71 contributions
Nov 2023 • Couples
This is a very interesting palace. The interiors, especially in the state rooms, are fabulous. It is amazing to be able to see inside this place and to see where others have had an audience with the pope, where popes have slept and recuperated and also worked. We were whizzed around the state apartments by a guide in about 10 minutes. He collected us from the museum on the lower floor and then rapidly conducted us through the state rooms. It would perhaps have been better to be able to spend a moment or two longer taking in the surroundings. The museum floor is ok, but could be better arranged. There are some papal regalia, and a number of portraits (including some excellent ones of the 3 most recent popes). A little more context would have been helpful. Many of the portraits appear currently to be in restoration. The vehicles used by the most recent popes are displayed in the courtyard but appear to have been abandoned to decay with mostly flat tyres. Overall very interesting but rather leaves you wanting more.
Written 28 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Edwelsh
North Canton, OH7,228 contributions
Nov 2022 • Friends
When Pope Francis decided he did not want to relax in the summer residence, the town of Castel Gandolfo lobbied to open it as a museum. We, the public, are the winners. A short drive from Rome, overlooking a beautiful volcanic lake, this palace is breathtaking. Architecture, art and history make it a special visit.
Written 19 November 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
AnnieTravels
Canada181 contributions
Apr 2024 • Couples
If you’ve seen a lot of castles and you’re simply visiting another castle, this one is underwhelming and not worth going to. For castle fans, it’s a 0 out of 5. However, if you’re wanting to experience the papal summer home, then it’s a 5 out of 5. It’s a one hour visit, and there’s not much to see in the medieval town. A two hour visit will suffice.
Written 21 April 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Venus234
32 contributions
July 2019
Me and my family of 4 adults made a day trip to Castel Gandolfo from Rome via train. It is a less than one hour journey, but with multiple stops on the way, as its not a high speed train. It stops at 5 to 6 small towns before reaching Castel Gondolfo.
ONE SURPRISE we were met with upon reaching our destination was the lack of any sort of transportation to take us from the train station to the Pontifical Villas or the Palazzo Pontificio. We, as all others who disembarked the train, had to walk our way to the Palace (you may call in Pontifical Villas or the Palazzo that lies at its entrance. It is the centre of the town and the main tourist spot in Castel Gandolfo basically) which was located on a hill.
Now, there are two routes that take you to the Palace. You can take the first route by simply walking up the slightly steep road that the train station is located on. As you start for the Palace, you will determine the correct direction by making sure that the Albano Lake is on your right hand side and the hill on your left hand side. This road goes straight until it bends in a U-turn and takes you to the Palace.
The second route, is a much steeper short cut. It appears on your left hand side less than a km from the train station. It is a steep, zigzag, cobbled hill track that alternates with the seemingly longer road route to the Palace. The hill track is the one we took. This route has both positive and negative sides to it. The only plus point I can imagine is that by virtue of being a hill track, it is covered with trees and we walked the entire time in a cool shade and were saved from the scorching July sun. The negative point is that the track was way too steep. This angle was unexpected and uncalled for so it was a bit annoying. We had to stop 6 to 7 times to catch our breath and I doubt if the hill track even proved to be a short cut.. The only good thing was the shade of tree. So i suggest if the sun is not too bright and its not so hot, you should take the road rather than the hill track.
ONE SURPRISE we were met with upon reaching our destination was the lack of any sort of transportation to take us from the train station to the Pontifical Villas or the Palazzo Pontificio. We, as all others who disembarked the train, had to walk our way to the Palace (you may call in Pontifical Villas or the Palazzo that lies at its entrance. It is the centre of the town and the main tourist spot in Castel Gandolfo basically) which was located on a hill.
Now, there are two routes that take you to the Palace. You can take the first route by simply walking up the slightly steep road that the train station is located on. As you start for the Palace, you will determine the correct direction by making sure that the Albano Lake is on your right hand side and the hill on your left hand side. This road goes straight until it bends in a U-turn and takes you to the Palace.
The second route, is a much steeper short cut. It appears on your left hand side less than a km from the train station. It is a steep, zigzag, cobbled hill track that alternates with the seemingly longer road route to the Palace. The hill track is the one we took. This route has both positive and negative sides to it. The only plus point I can imagine is that by virtue of being a hill track, it is covered with trees and we walked the entire time in a cool shade and were saved from the scorching July sun. The negative point is that the track was way too steep. This angle was unexpected and uncalled for so it was a bit annoying. We had to stop 6 to 7 times to catch our breath and I doubt if the hill track even proved to be a short cut.. The only good thing was the shade of tree. So i suggest if the sun is not too bright and its not so hot, you should take the road rather than the hill track.
Written 17 November 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
kate08
ireland246 contributions
Dec 2019 • Friends
I enjoyed our visit and found the audio guide very good. The history of each Pope was informative and interesting. We got to visit the living quarters and the views of the lake were stunning. I thought it was a nice relaxed way to spend some time away from Rome. The town is nice and we did some shopping and had a lovely lunch before getting the train back to Rome.
Written 19 December 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jack H
Bonita Springs, FL372 contributions
Oct 2019
This was an amazing place to visit. Such a quaint little village with so much history. And the Lake was just beatifull.
Written 11 November 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
sharkymarky66
Paris, France167 contributions
Aug 2019 • Family
We came to Castel Gandolfo as part of a wider tour of the Castelli Romani.
This is a picturesque little town dominated by the Papal Palace with fabulous views of Lake Albano below.
We arrived too late to visit the palace and the gardens so we’ll have to come back another time...
This is a picturesque little town dominated by the Papal Palace with fabulous views of Lake Albano below.
We arrived too late to visit the palace and the gardens so we’ll have to come back another time...
Written 9 August 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
aphrab
hickory, nc399 contributions
June 2019
A terrific bore, this site contains the usual trinket shops filled with Catholic kitsch. Outdoor restaurants were more appealing. Not historically or scenically engaging.
Written 29 October 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Madalyn H
Huddersfield, UK1,852 contributions
Oct 2019
A great opportunity to visit this historic palace. The ground floor is devoted to papal history, assisted by an audio tour. The first floor is the palace as used by former popes - interesting - but would benefit from more information being available in individual rooms, regarding their history and use
Written 14 October 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Gary F
Nashville, TN271 contributions
June 2019 • Couples
The tour of the papal summer vacation palace provides a thorough history of the church and its leaders over many hundreds of years. The audio guide, available in English, provides extensive discussion about many of the displays which follow the transition of popes over time. The building itself is also very ornate and interesting to view. The tour includes a small group visit to the upstairs rooms where the popes stayed. Buy tickets for both the palace and the gardens and you will get a discounted rate. We were here in early June so it was not yet too crowded, but be aware that capacity is limited for the hourly garden tours, so you may want to reserve a time in advance for that.
Written 19 June 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
All'interno c'è un'ascensore per i piani superiori? Sono presenti dei gabinetti?
Written 1 May 2023
Non so se c'e l'ascensore. I bagni sono all'ingresso
Written 13 May 2023
can you take a taxi from thre train station in gandolfo to the castel? or do you have to walk
Written 27 March 2022
Yes, you do. Visit the Vatican Museums website for additional information. You can take a train there and make it an enjoyable day.
Written 22 July 2018
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