Castel Gandolfo: Vatican Number Two

January 9th – 11th, 2026 | Weekend Trip

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Castel Gandolfo: Vatican Number Two

Notable Eats

Landmarks

1. Palazzo Pontificio

Castel Gandolfo: Vatican Number Two

Castel Gandolfo is located southeast of Rome and situated on Lago Albano. It is one of the many small towns in the area, which are termed the Castelli Romani and is most famous for being the site of the papal summer residence, specifically Il Palazzo Pontificio (the Papal Palace). Pope John Paul II had his own affectionate name for the town: Vatican Number 2.

Castel Gandolfo has all the charm you would expect from a small Italian hill town. A single main street cuts through the center, flanked by craft shops, restaurants, bars, and residences. We visited in the dead of January, when most of the shops had closed for the winter and the streets had been all but abandoned by tourists. The wind was bitter enough to send us into doorways for brief warm ups.

That Friday we rolled into town and stumbled upon Arte e Vino for dinner, which turned out to be quite memorable. The place has two entrances on opposite sides of the main street, and once you step inside and descend the stairs, you realize the two sides are connected underground, running beneath the street itself. Each subterranean room has its own distinct theme. Ours was nautical and travel-inspired, anchored by a large wooden ship at the far end of the room and covered wall to wall in old maps. Overhead, somewhere between 30 and 40 model airplanes hung from the ceiling. To top it off, a duo would make their rounds through the underground rooms throughout the evening, a man and a woman, stopping to sing and play guitar for each table before moving on to the next.

The restaurant also had an artisanal beer prominently displayed near the register: Pinocchia, from a local winery called Cantina Mentiroso. The winery appears to specialize in Pinocchio-themed wines, but Pinocchia was a newer addition, a beer launched in the summer of 2025 featuring a feminine twist on the classic character. It caught my eye, so I picked up two bottles: one light and one dark. We enjoyed both.

The next morning we got our first real look at Lago Albano in the daylight, a genuinely beautiful sight with the green slopes of Monte Cavo rising in the background. For lunch we kept things simple, stopping into Lo Spuntino, a small trattoria where you pick your own sandwich toppings from whatever they have on hand. Think of it as a far more down-to-earth and personal version of Subway. I went with lonza, fontina, and cooked zucchini, and I would order it again without hesitation.

After lunch we had reservations at the Papal Palace, the historic summer residence of the Pope. The palace has only recently been opened to the public as a museum, and if you go, the audio tour is highly recommended. There is simply too much context and history packed into the recordings that never made it onto the written labels throughout the exhibit.

That evening we wandered into a local bar called Amici del Gusto. The owner was an older man who carried himself with confidence but was completely approachable, quick with a joke, and genuinely funny. We kept it light that night, just some beer and chips, still working through the aftermath of the Arte e Vino dinner and a surprisingly filling panino at lunch.

Sunday we hit the road with lunch reservations at Locanda Skansen, a place that required navigating what felt like a dirt road to nowhere before it finally appeared. A man at the entrance of the parking area waved us into our spot. We stepped out of the car and had to watch our footing around free-ranging chickens, a few farm dogs, and, somewhat unexpectedly, a turkey.

The restaurant itself operated by its own rules. There was no menu. The waiter simply came to the table and described two or three options available for each course. If nothing appealed to you, that was your problem. Fortunately, everything was excellent. The dish that stuck with me most was laughably simple: a slice of bread spread with a strawberry or blueberry marmalade, topped with eggplant. It sounds strange, but it worked.