LIB'S LABYRINTH: Maze: Rome Castel Gandolfo

Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Maze: Rome Castel Gandolfo

THE POPE'S SUMMER HOME: CASTELGANDOLFO IS A SMALL TOWN LOCATED SOUTHEAST OF ROME ON THE CITY OF ALBA LONGA IN ANCIENT LATIUM, THE BIRTHPLACE OF ROMULUS AND REMUS, THE MYTHICAL FOUNDERS OF ROME. It's also known as Castelli Romani (Roman Castles). Built in the 1200s, it took its name from the Gandulfi family of Genoa.

The Pope's gardens overlook the heavenly and serene Lake Albano which fills up an old volcanic crater. It's 961 feet above sea level and 558 feet deep. There's one very special olive tree in the garden of Castelgandolfo - King Hussein of Jordan gave an olive branch to Pope Paul VI during his trip to Jerusalem in 1964. The King's son, the current King Abdullah, visited the gardens and saw the fully grown tree.

The walkways and roads are paved just like the Old Appian Way. Ruins of Emperor Domitian's (81-86)
villa can be found everywhere. It was constructed of 3 levels: the top for the servant quarters, the middle for the imperial family and guests and the bottom as cryptoportico. It resembles as tunnel with one end open and the other closed. Today there's a large Holy Cross there. There's also an Antiquarium museum housing prized collection of artefacts from Villa Domitian.

Cryptoportico

Historic Dates, Papal Footsteps and Occupancies

1596 The Savelli family owned it on and off
1604 Pope Clement VIII (1592 - 1605) declared it patrimony of the Holy See
1611 Pope Paul V (1605 -1621) told by town officials to provide water to the castle and restore Palozzolo aqueduct
1623 Pope Urban VIII (1623 -1644), also known as Cardinal Maffeo Barberini, started to make home improvement and beautify the gardens
1655 Pope Alexander VII (1655 - 1667) completed the work. The Italian painter, architect, and sculptor Gian Lorenzo Bernini designed the gardens
1700 Pope Clement XI (1700 - 1721) conferred the title of Pontifical Villa
1740 Pope Benedict XIV (1740 - 1758) built the Loggia of Blessings
1758 Pope Clement XIII (1758 - 1769) embellished the property
1769 Pope Clement XIV furthered beautified the 7 1/2 acre garden
**** Next 100 years - Invasion of Italy by Napoleon Bonaparte
1846 Pope Pius IX (1846 - 1878) incorporated the castle to New Italy. His pontificate was the longest in history after St. Peter, the First Pope
**** Pope Pius XI signed the Lateran Pact between the New Italy and Holy See. No Pope ever left Vatican City for a holiday in Castelgandolfo
1933 Restoration began. The Vatican Observatory, run by Jesuits, was moved from Vatican City to Castelgandolfo due to the bright lights of Rome and astronomers were unable to see the night sky.
1934 Pope Pius XI placed a replica of Poland's Black Madonna of Czestochowa. It's the Pope's first "summer" visit
**** World War I and World War II
1946 Pope Pius XII's first postwar visit. He loved Castelgandolfo and died there on October 9, 1958
1958 Pope John XXIII (1958 - 1963) began praying the angelus with the faithful. Town people attend the noon angelus on Sundays
1963 Pope Paul VI (1963 - 1978) made the first papal trip by helicopter (the place is a 30-minute drive from Rome). He died on August 6, 1978, Sunday
1978 Pope John Paul II (1978 - 2005), also known as Cardinal Karol Josef Wojtyla of Krakow, Poland was elected Pope on October 16, 1978. He was the first Pope to reside at the castle in periods other than late spring or summer

Vatican Observatory

Pope John Paul II welcoming President George W. Bush and First Lady Laura when they visited Castelgandolfo in 2001.

Pope Benedict XVI meditating at the garden

Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis praying to the Black Madonna of Czestochowa

Interior of Castelgandolfo

The Papal Properties

Dr. Saverio Petrillo is the Director of the Pontifical Villas. He's been serving the Popes and guiding the pilgrims for forty years, since the age of 18. For more: http://www.ewtn.com/news/blog.asp?blogposts_ID=1299&blog_ID=1 (link added 7/30/13)

There are 20 permanent residents at the villas; 60 people work in the properties - gardeners, tree trimmers, electrician and maintenance men.

There are 25 cows in the farm. The milk and yogurt are made and sold as VillePontificie di Castelgandolfo in the Vatican supermarkets.