An interview with the Director of the Pontifical Villas

A cultural hub open to visitors from all over the world

In the last ten years, the Pontifical Villas have undergone a gradual transformation, from summer residence of the Popes, to a cultural hub open to visitors from around the world. The following is an interview with Andrea Tamburelli, Director of the Directorate of the Pontifical Villas.

When did the bond between the Pontiffs and Castel Gandolfo begin?

Castel Gandolfo is an exquisite town in the Castelli Romani, located at the top of the ridge of Lake Albano, over the surrounding country, towards the sea and Rome.

The deep and still relevant bond between the Popes and Castel Gandolfo dates back to 1623, some 400 years ago, with Urban VIII Barberini, who was the first Pope to stay at the Castel Gandolfo residence. From accounts of historical facts and contexts, we can better understand what unites this joyful town with the Apostolic See and the successors of Peter, up to the current Pope.

Around 1200, the Gandolfi family from Genoa built a castle on the hill of Castel Gandolf, possibly over the ruins of Albalonga. The family name later became the name of the today’s town.

After some decades, the area was bought by the Savelli family, who owned it for some three centuries.

In 1596, during the Pontificate of Clement VII Aldobrandini (1592-1605), the Apostolic Chamber took possession of the territories of Castel Gandolfo and of Rocca Priora, with the Bull known as “Congregation of Barons”, seizing the property of the Savelli who had refused to repay back a debt of 150,000 écus. Part of the debt was later repaid and Rocca Priora was returned to the Savelli family, whereas Castel Gandolfo was declared an inalienable patrimony of the Holy See and permanently incorporated into the temporal goods of the Church.

At the behest of the community of Castel Gandolfo, Paul V Borghese (1605-1621) provided the town and the citadel with abundant water, by restructuring the aqueduct that brought water from the springs of Malaffitto, today known as Palazzolo. They are the property of Vatican City State still today.

Urban VIII Barberini (1623-1644) was the first Pontiff to stay at the Castel Gandolfo residence, in the Spring of 1626, once the Palace had been restructured by Carlo Maderno.

A garden was planted inside the Palace (Garden of the Moor) and during the same Pontificate of Urban VIII, Simone Lagi of Florence decorated the private chapel, the oratory and the tree-lined avenues, known as Galleria di Sopra and Galleria di Sotto (Upper and Lower Gallery) that connect Castel Gandolfo to Albano.

Alessandro VII Chigi (1655-1667) completed the construction of the Pontifical Palace with a new facade looking out onto the Square, a wing facing the sea and a large gallery, designed by Bernini.

Clement XIV Ganganelli (1769-1774) expanded the residence by buying neighbouring Villa Cybo in March 1773.

In 1870, with the end of the Papal States, the papal residence of Castel Gandolfo was abandoned for a period that lasted 60 years.

When were the Pontifical Villas established?

The Lateran Treaty of 1929 gave the Pontifical Villas their current dimensions, with the addition of the Villa Barberini complex, in which newly designed gardens were installed -- among those deserving special attention is the Belvedere gardens --  and the purchase of some vegetable gardens near Albano for a small agriculture business.

Pius XI Ratti (1922-1939) ordered consolidation and renovation works of the Pontifical Palace to make it more suitable to its new demands and for connections between the three villas (Garden of the Moor, Villa Cybo and Villa Barberini).

In 1934, the Astronomical Observatory was moved from the Vatican to Castel Gandolfo, and entrusted to the Jesuits.

The complex of the Pontifical Villas was thus delineated into 55 hectares, stretched between the Municipalities of Castel Gandolfo and Albano, which enjoyed privileges of extraterritoriality.

What is Pope Francis’ project for the Pontifical Villas?

Over the last few years, with the election of Pope Francis, the style and use of the huge patrimony of the Villas has profoundly changed. The summer residence of Popes has become an area open to the public to reveal the great beauty of the place. We have therefore gone from providing a daily service to the Popes, to providing a service to the tourists and museum guides who visit the Villas.

It is extremely clear from this, that we need to find a new “Role” for the Pontifical Villas, and we have been working towards this with the support of close collaborators and of my colleagues, the Directors of Vatican City State, and above all, with the help of the President, Cardinal Fernando Vérgez Alzaga and of General Secretary Sister Raffaella Petrini.

I have seen the progressive transformation of the Pontifical Villas over the years, from summer residence of the Popes to cultural hub. Tourism and cultural aspects will be joined together, with more exhibitions, conferences, institutional meetings and events that will make the Villas a “patrimony of culture and humanity”.

 Can you describe the collaboration between the Pontifical Villas and the Vatican Museums?

Relations between the two Directorates are frequent and undoubtedly productive. I can confirm in fact, that for a few years now, in accordance with the wishes of the Holy Father, the Villas were opened to the public and the number of visitors is constantly on the rise. In 2023, a record number of more than 200,000 people visited the Villas. The various tours on offer are handled by the Directorate of the Vatican Museums and Cultural Heritage, in cooperation with the Directorate of the Pontifical Villas.

The positive effects of this collaboration between the two Directorates, along with the decision of the Directorate of the Pontifical Villas, which, in agreement with the Bodies of Government of the State, has eliminated any extraordinary investment and curbed costs for ordinary administrative activities, maintaining only the costs required to manage current aspects, can already be seen: for the first time ever, the Directorate of the Pontifical Villas has reported a positive budget variance. Thus, the enlightened vision of the Pontiff that began in 2014, was successfully achieved in 2023.

This virtuous cycle is still continuing in 2024, with the organization of new tours for our visitors, and the enhancement of exhibitions hosted at the Pontifical Palace and the internal itinerary of Villa Barberini, mostly aimed at enhancing the historical monument of the building.

This process will have a limited effect with respect to the past because the extraterritorial zone of Castel Gandolfo, will be undergoing an important transformation. In 2024, the territory will be managed by two bodies:

The Governorate, through the Directorate of the Pontifical Villas, will manage the Pontifical Palace and its associated areas, including the Secret Garden and the Garden of the Moor, as well as Palazzo Barberini and the “museum of the Antiquarium” which houses important findings from the Roman era, discovered in excavations of Emperor Domitian’s Villa (81-96 A.D.).

The Laudato Si’ Centre for higher education will manage the remaining areas of the Pontifical Villas.

How many employees are there?

There are currently 20 staff members, working mainly in the management and maintenance of the Pontifical Palace and Palazzo Barberini, and in the management of the Garden of the Moor and the Secret Garden. There used to be more than 60 members of staff, but some of them have left us because they had reached retirement age, while others work in the Gardens of Villa Barberini, today entrusted to the Vatican Administration. Many of them come to visit us often because the Pontifical Villas are always in the hearts of those who have spent some time there.