We booked a single night stay at Il Raduno, solely because Castle Gandolfo is an easy drive to the airport in Fiumicino as we needed to pick up arriving friends there the next day. We did not realize the significance of this place, being the Pope's summer residence and having an extensive Papal palace and gardens. Luckily we arrived early enough to tour the palace and catch the final garden tour of the day! What a unique place! The setting is pretty cool too - on the rim of a lake filled volcanic caldera. Il Raduno is located within the pedestrianized old town, so one must park outside and walk in. There are numerous parking areas, some free or 4 Euros per day, depending on where you find a spot. And it can be challenging to find to find a spot! It took us a few circuits before finding a spot near one of the gates, and this was later in the day in April, which should have been less busy than the summer! No matter where you park, you will have to walk into the old town. While Il Raduno is in the middle of the old town, and there is significant potential for noise, we found it to be quiet as most tourists left in the evening, leaving the town quite empty overnight. There were lots of restaurants and shops nearby. The suite featured a fridge and stove, but no kettle. It had a small balcony overlooking the street behind the house. The room was quite spacious, comfortable, clean and well-maintained. The bathroom was up a short flight of stairs and was fairly tight, but certainly serviceable. We initially had some problems logging into wifi but after consulting with the host by phone were able to get it working. Castel Gandolfo is certainly worth visiting and if staying overnight Il Raduno is a very good option.
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