Papal Palace of Castel Gandolfo

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The facade of the Apostolic Palace of Castel Gandolfo in 2015. Pontifical Palace (Castel Gandolfo).jpg
The facade of the Apostolic Palace of Castel Gandolfo in 2015.
Pope John Paul II with US President George W. Bush and his wife Laura during their first meeting at the Papal Palace of Castel Gandolfo in July 2001. John Paul II George W. Bush July 2001.jpg
Pope John Paul II with US President George W. Bush and his wife Laura during their first meeting at the Papal Palace of Castel Gandolfo in July 2001.

The Papal Palace of Castel Gandolfo, or the Apostolic Palace of Castel Gandolfo from its Italian name Palazzo Apostolico di Castel Gandolfo, is a 135-acre complex of buildings in a garden setting in the city of Castel Gandolfo, Italy, including the principal 17-century villa, an observatory and a farmhouse with 75 acres of farmland. The main structure, the Papal Palace, has been a museum since October 2016. It served for centuries as a summer residence and vacation retreat for the pope, the leader of the Catholic Church, and is afforded extraterritorial status as one of the properties of the Holy See.

Castel Gandolfo Comune in Lazio, Italy

Castel Gandolfo is a town located 25 kilometres (16 mi) southeast of Rome in the Lazio region of Italy. Occupying a height on the Alban Hills overlooking Lake Albano, Castel Gandolfo has a population of approximately 8,900 residents and is considered one of Italy's most scenic towns.

Italy republic in Southern Europe

Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a European country consisting of a peninsula delimited by the Italian Alps and surrounded by several islands. Located in the middle of the Mediterranean sea and traversed along its length by the Apennines, Italy has a largely temperate seasonal and Mediterranean climate. The country covers an area of 301,340 km2 (116,350 sq mi) and shares open land borders with France, Slovenia, Austria, Switzerland and the enclaved microstates of Vatican City and San Marino. Italy has a territorial exclave in Switzerland (Campione) and a maritime exclave in the Tunisian Sea (Lampedusa). With around 60 million inhabitants, Italy is the fourth-most populous member state of the European Union.

Pope leader of the Catholic Church

The pope, also known as the supreme pontiff, is the bishop of Rome and ex officio leader of the worldwide Catholic Church. Since 1929, the pope has also been head of state of Vatican City, a city-state enclaved within Rome, Italy. The current pope is Francis, who was elected on 13 March 2013, succeeding Benedict XVI.

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History

Palace of Castel Gandolfo with the domes of the Vatican Observatory Pontifical palace and Vatican Observatory, Castel Gandolfo.jpg
Palace of Castel Gandolfo with the domes of the Vatican Observatory

"The oldest parts of the castle date back to the 13th century," according to Saverio Petrillo, whose title is director of the Papal villas. "It was acquired by the Vatican in 1596 when the Savelli family, who owned it, were unable to pay a debt to the Papacy." [1]

The gardens occupy the site of a residence of the Roman Emperor Domitian. [2] The palace was designed by Swiss-Italian architect Carlo Maderno for Pope Urban VIII. Since then, about half of his successors have used the properties as a summer residence and vacation retreat, [3] except for the years between 1870 and 1929 when the popes, in dispute with Italy over territorial claims, did not leave Vatican City. [4] Pope Pius XI had the facilities modernized and began using the retreat again in 1934. [4] In accordance with the Lateran Treaty of 1929, the palace and the adjoining Villa Barberini added to the complex by Pope Pius XI are extraterritorial properties of the Holy See. [4]

Domitian Emperor of Ancient Rome

Domitian was Roman emperor from 81 to 96. He was the younger brother of Titus and the son of Vespasian, his two predecessors on the throne, and the last member of the Flavian dynasty. During his reign, the authoritarian nature of his rule put him at sharp odds with the senate, whose powers he drastically curtailed.

Carlo Maderno Swiss-Italian architect

Carlo Maderno (Maderna) was an Italian architect, born in today's Ticino, who is remembered as one of the fathers of Baroque architecture. His façades of Santa Susanna, St. Peter's Basilica and Sant'Andrea della Valle were of key importance in the evolution of the Italian Baroque. He is often referred to as the brother of sculptor Stefano Maderno, but this is not universally agreed upon.

Pope Urban VIII 17th-century Catholic pope

Pope Urban VIII reigned as Pope from 6 August 1623 to his death in 1644. He expanded the papal territory by force of arms and advantageous politicking, and was also a prominent patron of the arts and a reformer of Church missions.

During World War II, an unknown number of Jewish refugees took shelter at the palace under the protection of the Holy See and many people used the site as a refuge from Allied bombing raids in 1944, though more than 500 people died in one such attack. [4]

World War II 1939–1945 global war

World War II, also known as the Second World War, was a global war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. The vast majority of the world's countries—including all the great powers—eventually formed two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis. A state of total war emerged, directly involving more than 100 million people from over 30 countries. The major participants threw their entire economic, industrial, and scientific capabilities behind the war effort, blurring the distinction between civilian and military resources. World War II was the deadliest conflict in human history, marked by 50 to 85 million fatalities, most of whom were civilians in the Soviet Union and China. It included massacres, the genocide of the Holocaust, strategic bombing, premeditated death from starvation and disease, and the only use of nuclear weapons in war.

Pope Pius XII died at the palace in 1958 [5] as did Pope Paul VI in 1978. [6] Pope John Paul II had a swimming pool built at the palace, which was criticized by some. Paparazzi used the opportunity to take photos of him. [7]

Pope Pius XII 260th Pope of the Catholic Church

Pope Pius XII, born Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli, was head of the Catholic Church from 2 March 1939 to his death. Before his election to the papacy, he served as secretary of the Department of Extraordinary Ecclesiastical Affairs, papal nuncio to Germany, and Cardinal Secretary of State, in which capacity he worked to conclude treaties with European and Latin American nations, most notably the Reichskonkordat with Nazi Germany.

Pope Paul VI Pope of the Roman Catholic Church from 1963 to 1978

Pope Paul VI was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 21 June 1963 to his death in 1978. Succeeding John XXIII, he continued the Second Vatican Council which he closed in 1965, implementing its numerous reforms, and fostered improved ecumenical relations with Eastern Orthodox and Protestant churches, which resulted in many historic meetings and agreements. Montini served in the Holy See's Secretariat of State from 1922 to 1954. While in the Secretariat of State, Montini and Domenico Tardini were considered as the closest and most influential advisors of Pius XII, who in 1954 named him Archbishop of Milan, the largest Italian diocese. Montini later became the Secretary of the Italian Bishops' Conference. John XXIII elevated him to the College of Cardinals in 1958, and after the death of John XXIII, Montini was considered one of his most likely successors.

Pope John Paul II 264th Pope of the Catholic Church, saint

Pope John Paul II was the Pope of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 1978 to 2005.

Pope Benedict XVI flew to the palace at the conclusion of his papacy on 28 February 2013, [8] was joined by Pope Francis for lunch on 23 March, [2] and returned to Vatican City on 2 May. [9] Francis visited the property twice more, but has never stayed overnight. [10] In June 2013 Francis announced he would not spend the summer in Castel Gandolfo as many of his predecessors had, but would lead the Angelus there on 14 July. [3] In retirement, Benedict used it at Francis' invitation for a two-week vacation in 2015. [11]

Pope Benedict XVI 265th pope of the Catholic Church

Pope Benedict XVI is a retired prelate of the Catholic Church who served as head of the Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 2005 until his resignation in 2013. Benedict's election as pope occurred in the 2005 papal conclave that followed the death of Pope John Paul II. Benedict chose to be known by the title "pope emeritus" upon his resignation.

Pope Francis 266th and current pope

Pope Francis is the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State. Francis is the first Jesuit pope, the first from the Americas, the first from the Southern Hemisphere, the first to visit the Arabian Peninsula, and the first pope from outside Europe since the Syrian Gregory III, who reigned in the 8th century.

On 7 December 2013, Pope Francis named Osvaldo Gianoli as the Director of the Pontifical Villas of Castel Gandolfo. [12] In March 2014, the Vatican opened the Barberini Gardens to paid visitors on escorted tours during morning hours every day but Sunday. [13] Beginning 11 September 2015, the public was able to travel from Vatican City to Castel Gandolfo by a train that had previously been reserved for use by the pope. [14] Before the end of the year, products from the farm, previously only available to Vatican employees, were made available for purchase by the public. [15]

On 21 October 2016, the palace was opened to the public for viewing without undergoing any structural changes. [16] When asked if the building would again become a papal apartment, Castel Gandolfo mayor Milvia Monachesi said: "the fact that the palace is now a museum will make a reversal in the future difficult". [17]

Pursuant to the Lateran Treaty of 1929, the Papal Palace of Castel Gandolfo is Italian territory, but owned by the Holy See and equipped with extraterritoriality comparable to that of diplomatic missions. It is exempt from Italian taxes and expropriations, and Italian authorities are prohibited from entering it without the consent of the Holy See. [18] .

See also

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References

  1. ↑ Squires, Nick (23 February 2013). "A rare glimpse inside the remote retreat Pope Benedict XVI is soon to call home". The Telegraph.
  2. 1 2 Johnson, Alan (23 March 2013). "Pope Francis visits Benedict XVI at Castel Gandolfo". BBC. Retrieved 3 March 2014.
  3. 1 2 Wooden, Cindy (6 June 2013). "Pope Francis decides not to spend summer at Castel Gandolfo". National Catholic Reporter. Catholic News Service. Retrieved 9 May 2019. According to Saverio Petrillo, director of the villa, about half the popes since then have followed Pope Urban's lead. Over the centuries, war, political turmoil, illness and just plain not liking the setting accounted for some pontiffs renouncing use of the villa, Petrillo wrote.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Schlott, René (28 February 2013). "Castel Gandolfo: The Colorful History of the Pope's Summer Home". Spiegel International. Retrieved 3 March 2014.
  5. ↑ Cortesi, Arnaldo (9 October 1958). "Pontiff 19 Years" (PDF). New York Times. Retrieved 3 March 2014.
  6. ↑ Tanner, Henry (7 August 1978). "Election to be Held" (PDF). New York Times. Retrieved 3 March 2014.
  7. ↑ "Castel Gandolfo: The Colorful History of the Pope's Summer Home". Spiegel.de. Retrieved 19 January 2017.
  8. ↑ Donadio, Rachel (28 February 2013). "Discord Remains at Vatican as Pope Benedict Departs". New York Times. Retrieved 3 March 2014.
  9. ↑ Povoledo, Elisabetta (2 May 2013). "With Benedict's Return, Vatican Experiment Begins". New York Times. Retrieved 3 March 2014.
  10. ↑ Hancock, Edith (28 October 2016). "Inside Pope Francis' summer home, which has just been opened to the public". Business Insider. Retrieved 9 May 2019.
  11. ↑ Harris, Elise (30 June 2015). "Francis wishes Benedict XVI a good summer in Castel Gandolfo". Catholic News Agency. Retrieved 9 May 2019.
  12. ↑ "Nomina del Direttore delle Ville Pontificie di Castelgandolfo" (Press release). Holy See Press Office. 7 December 2013. Retrieved 3 March 2014.
  13. ↑ "Bergoglio opens Castel Gandolfo gardens to the public". Vatican Insider. 3 March 2014. Retrieved 3 March 2014.
  14. ↑ Cousturie, Isabelle (24 October 2016). "Pope Francis gives up papal summer residence at Castel Gandolfo". Aleteia. Retrieved 9 May 2019.
  15. ↑ Marchetti, Silvia (16 January 2018). "God's Grocer: Pope Francis Has Opened His Farm to Visitors". Newsweek. Retrieved 9 May 2019.
  16. ↑ "Pope gives up another indulgence: His summer palace". Religion News Service. 21 October 2016. Retrieved 19 January 2017.
  17. ↑ Pullella, Philip (21 October 2016). "Papal summer residence, shunned by Francis, opened to public". Reuters . Retrieved 19 January 2017.
  18. ↑ Lateran Treaty, Article 15 and annex II.
Additional sources

Coordinates: 41°44′50″N12°39′01″E / 41.7471°N 12.6503°E / 41.7471; 12.6503

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