Full Day Visit, Cooking Class and Lunch at the Pope's Summer Residence

À quoi s’attendre

As part of a new and exclusive collaboration between the Vatican Museums and In Rome Cooking, enjoy a divine day in Castel Gandolfo. Come and indulge in a cooking class and lunch at the Pope’s farm, tour the Papal Palace and soak up the charming atmosphere of this classic Italian hilltop town.

Reminiscent of Tuscany’s fabled landscape, the Alban hills are 20 km from central Rome, and where Romans escape to the countryside. Castel Gandolfo is the finest of the hilltop towns, benefiting from an exquisite spot overlooking the fantastically blue volcanic lake.

Emperor Domitian built a summer villa here, the ruins of which are within the estate of the Pontifical Villas. We invite you to enjoy this splendid part of the Roman countryside as Popes have been doing since the 16th century.

This day convenes in Rome where transport has been arranged for you to reach the Papal estate. Begin with a visit to the Papal Palace, home to an exhibition of curated artifacts and stories of the Popes who resided here. A golf cart or minivan has then been arranged for you to explore the meticulously kept grounds including the Roman amphitheater, the antiquarium, and the crypto portico and sculpted Barberini gardens, one of the finest examples of landscaped gardens in Italy.

You will arrive at the Pope’s Farm where your culinary adventure begins. The organic farm covers 50 acres and is home to cows, free range chickens, bees, and a sprawling vegetable garden. The farm also produces its own olive oil and dairy products. Here you meet your professional chef with whom you will practice the traditional method of making authentic fresh pasta by hand, as well as a dessert from scratch, using all the fresh ingredients from the Pope’s farm itself. Lunch is then served with the food you have prepared, a perfect Italian feast, complete with local wine.

To conclude the day you will have time to explore and shop in the historic village. We suggest finding a table in the piazza and ordering a final gelato and taking a moment to savour the memories of this truly unforgettable experience.

There is also the option for this tour to be elevated intro a full Papal experience including super early access to the Sistine Chapel at 7:30am.

Menu

• Tastings of products from the farm 
• Fresh pasta 
• Italian dessert 

Programme

• 09:00 am: Meet at Via dei Corridor 42 (nearby S. Peter's square
• 9:45 am: Arrive in Castel Gandolfo and explore the grounds and the palace
• 12:00 pm: Cooking class at the Pope's farm
• 3:00 pm: Free time to explore the town of Castel Gandolfo
• 3:30 pm: Depart from the town of Castel Gandolfo.
• 4:30 pm: Arrive nearby Piazza Venezia