After three trips to Rome in the past five years, I didn’t think there were many new (and noteworthy) experiences to be had. So when I found out I’d be visiting the Pope’s Summer Palace—Castel Gandolfo—I was thrilled to visit this extension to the Vatican.
Admittedly, I did not know the Pope even had a summer palace which may be a plight of my ignorance, but I’d like to think it’s just not a well-known fact. The latter was supported when I arrived in Castel Gandolfo to a sleepy town of local vendors and quiet, cobbled streets; this was not the tranquil scene I associated to any property aligned with the Vatican.
