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  • Explore Castel Gandolfo: Pope Leo\’s Secret Summer Retreat in Italy

    Beat Roma’s Heat with a Lakeside Getaway

    Looking for a chill break from Rome’s sunny vibes? Slip into a lakeside town where popes have been sipping on holiday vibes for centuries.

    Why It’s the Perfect Spot

    • Lake breezes – nature’s own air‑conditioning.
    • World‑class history – the same spot that Pius looked down on from his holidays.
    • Local pizza that’s as fresh as the lake water.

    What to Pack

    • Sunblock – the sun loves this town.
    • Comfortable shoes – trails are waiting.
    • Camera – you’ll want to capture the frescoes and the dolphins.

    Hit the Road

    Just hop in, head towards the lake, and let history and sunshine guide your journey. With popes on the side, the vibe’s guaranteed to be heavenly.

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    The town of Castel Gandolfo sits high on the edge of a volcanic crater lake just 25 kilometres from Rome. 
    Its villas, palaces and grand churches are a testament to its long-standing use as a summer retreat for the popes of the Catholic Church. 

    While Pope Francis stayed away during his 12-year pontificate, the newly elected Pope Leo XIV has revived the tradition, arriving in the town this week to start a six-week holiday.
    Visitors to Rome can follow in his footsteps to find cooler climes, monumental architecture and stunning lake scenery.

    See inside the popes’ summer residence

    Lake Albano: The Evergreen Hide‑out of Rome’s Powerhouses

    Cracking Open the History Book

    Picture this: the sleek, crystal‑clear waters of Lake Albano have been a must‑visit spot for Rome’s biggest names since the days of Emperor Domitian back in the first century. Fast‑forward a few centuries, and the Vatican’s leaders were over‑using it as their summer chill‑spot.

    Urban VIII’s Grand Plan

    In 1624 the ever‑ambitious Pope Urban VIII kicked off the construction of a papal palace in Castel Gandolfo, a little town perched on the lake’s rim. He didn’t stop there – the palace grew in grandeur through successive popes, eventually covering a whopping 55 hectares. Wait a minute! That’s larger than the Vatican itself!

    Sunday Masses with a View

    • During the hot summer months, popes would head to the palace to host a noon blessing.
    • Pilgrims, curious fans, and handy‑dandy folks would flock to the courtyard every Sunday just to hear the pope bless them.
    • It was the perfect combo of holy tradition and majestic scenery—the Vatican’s version of a sunny day out.

    Why It Still Stands Out

    So whether you’re into ancient emperors or modern popes, Lake Albano’s charm stays powerful—bringing together lush lakeside skies, historic grandeur, and an unforgettable splash of royal vibes.

    The area around Lake Albano has been a favourite getaway for Roman rulers since the time of the Emperor Domitian in the first century.

    Castel Gandolfo: Rome’s Co‑Op of Cool

    Lake Albano has been shrugging like a seasoned vacationer when emperors Domitian and his fellow aristocrats last dragged it out in the first century. Fast‑forward to today, the same spot is where the popes are unwinding in September.

    From “I’ll Stay in Rome” to “All‑Day Museum”

    When Pope Francis told everyone he’d lock down in Rome for the summer, the town’s coffers hiccuped a bit. The big news? He turned the heart of the papal palace into a 24‑hour art hub that welcomes tourists straight to Castel Gandolfo’s grand gates. Tourists now drip in at a steadier rate than a leaky faucet.

    Inside the Palace: A Walk Through History

    Step inside to wander through:

    • The courtroom that’s basically a legal museum
    • A Swiss Guard sitting room—because even the Knights need a chill zone
    • The throne room, complete with lush furniture and a tale or two of regal sarcasm
    • Walls adorned with paintings that look like they’re begging for selfies

    Beyond the Halls: Farm, Garden, and Zen

    Outside, the grounds flaunt:

    • A working farm—yes, you can see actual cows, not just moo‑mosaics
    • Manicured gardens that turn weeds into whispered poetry
    • An observatory where Jesuit astronomers keep an eye on qui‑quasi the galaxy, because what else would a Pope do?
    • A brand‑new environmental education center, a lovechild of Pope Francis’s 2015 Laudato Si!—that’s “Praised Be” sprinkled with dad‑joke vibes about planet care

    So whether you’re a history buff, a farm‑lover, or just looking for a good story, Castel Gandolfo is the place to go—without the baggage of ancient Roman bureaucracy.

    Churches, coffee stops and lake views: What to do in Castel Gandolfo

    Beyond the Papal Palace: What Castel Gandolfo Has to Offer

    Castel Gandolfo isn’t just a spot for papal selfies. Recognised as one of Italy’s most beautiful villages, wandering its steep cobbles is an absolute treat. Perched high on a hillside, the town drops back to kiss the deep blue of Lake Albano.

    Where the Palaces and Churches Meet

    • Papal Palace – Located on the bustling Piazza della Libertà.
    • Church of San Tommaso da Villanova – A masterpiece by the iconic Roman baroque genius, Gian Lorenzo Bernini.

    Take a coffee break at any of the local cafés that line the square. While you’re there, jot down a quick postcard—yes, this town boasts the world’s first postbox, a brass slot in the town hall wall. Imagine being able to send a letter straight from a 12th‑century town.

    Lake‑side Leisure

    When the sun gets too hot, glide down the road hugging the lake. One side is a bustling strip of restaurants and bars; the other dazzles with beach clubs.

    • Grab a bike to venture beyond the town’s borders.
    • Rent a boat or kayak for a floating adventure on the water.

    Getting There Made Easy

    Looking for train options? Trains to Castel Gandolfo depart from Roma Termini every hour on the Castelli Romani line, a quick 45‑minute ride straight to the heart of the hilltop town.

  • How to set and achieve your goals as an entrepreneur in 2021

    How to set and achieve your goals as an entrepreneur in 2021

    When you start out as a business owner, there’s no set path to follow. You need to create your own progress, and if you want that progress to be significant, you’ll need to set some goals for yourself.

    But most entrepreneurs—in fact, most people in general—struggle with setting goals and achieving them. Whether it’s related to the success of your business, your health, or your personal life, setting and achieving goals is a difficult process that leaves many people feeling discouraged and frustrated.
    Over my 40 years of coaching business owners, I’ve been able to develop my own tools and frameworks for setting goals, and I’ve seen what works and what doesn’t. I’d like to share some tips that I’ve found to be effective. These may seem simple in nature, but they’re meant to shift your thinking around goal setting and how it applies to your business and personal life. Often, a shift in mindset is all it takes to achieve goals that would otherwise seem out of reach.

    A goal is a vision

    One of the biggest mistakes business owners make when setting goals is that they focus only on the numerical component. Setting measurable goals is important, of course—it’s something I recommend all entrepreneurs do—but it’s just one component of the goal-setting process. A goal should be more than just a number.
    When I set a goal for myself, I look at it as a chance to create a bigger and better version of myself. I look at it as a vision of myself in the future, being able to operate with bigger and better capabilities. Sure, there may be a number involved to help me get there, but the goal is more than just the numerical component.
    This way of thinking makes the goal exciting. It’s no longer just a mountain of numbers to climb; it’s a new version of yourself that you can visualise. In the future, you’re going to be a new business owner operating in a new way, and the goal is just meant to get you there.
    This is perhaps my biggest goal-setting tip for entrepreneurs. While numbers are a vital component of the process, they’re not the be-all and end-all. Focus on creating a vision for yourself over the next year.
    What new capability do you want to have? This could be anything: more revenue, a new piece of knowledge, a new business opportunity … Whatever it is, visualise it and how you’ll feel when you achieve it.

    100 books in 100 quarters

    When I talk to entrepreneurs about goals, I often bring up one of the most lofty goals I’ve set for myself over the years. When I was 70 years old, I set a goal to write 100 books in 100 quarters.
    When I set this goal, I made it very public. I told my team, my clients, and everyone in my network that I was going to put out 100 books over 25 years. And within just a few weeks, I was already thinking, “What did I get myself into?”
    This goal seemed unattainable. I had no idea what I was doing or how I would manage it.
    Sound familiar? I’m sure most entrepreneurs reading this can relate to this situation and how I was feeling.
    But I took a step back and remembered my own advice. What did I really want to accomplish here? What was my vision for the future? When I broke it down, I discovered that I was really looking for two things: I wanted to present a new book to our entrepreneurs every quarter, and I never wanted to run out of new ideas or concepts for Strategic Coach.
    From there, everything started to fall into place. The easiest way to start was to take the main idea I was currently focused on for our workshops and turn that into a book with help from my team. Then, it just became a matter of coming up with one new idea each quarter and using teamwork to turn it into a book.
    For me, this new vision was exciting, simple, and attainable. Creating a new book is a daunting endeavour. But coming up with new ideas to help entrepreneurs? That’s what I do best!

    3 goal-setting tips for entrepreneurs in 2021

    I hope that example shows you that even your most lofty goals are attainable if you shift your thinking. And with that in mind, here are three simple goal-setting tips that you can implement for the year ahead.

    Start by visualising yourself at the end of 2021. What’s going to be true about you as a business owner entrepreneur at the end of this year? What will be true about your business? Your personal life?

    These questions will help you clarify what you ultimately want to achieve in 2021 and who you want to be. It all goes back to that first piece of advice—creating a vision, not a goal.

    Clarify your goals! Entrepreneurs often set goals without actually thinking through all the components. One of our most popular tools at Strategic Coach is called The Impact Filter, and it’s built to provide clarity on any number of things, including goals. Regardless of whether you use the tool or not, the idea is simple.

    For every goal, you should clarify:

    What the goal is
    Why it’s important
    What difference it’s going to make
    What the ideal outcome is
    The best and worst results
    The success criteria

    This will give you some much-needed clarity on your goals. If you’ve never taken the time to do something like this before, you’ll be amazed at how it improves your entire goal-setting process. I can’t recommend it enough.

    Instead of asking how to achieve your goals, start asking who will help you get there. Business owners often feel overwhelmed by their goals because they don’t know how they’ll achieve them. If you shift your thinking to focus on who instead of how, your capabilities become infinite and everything becomes easier.

    When I first started on my goal of writing 100 books in 100 quarters, I had no idea how I was going to get all the work done. The primary reason I’ve been able to be successful with this goal is because I focused on finding the “Whos” for my “Hows.”
    When you approach goals with this mindset, it makes them less daunting and more enjoyable. You don’t have to worry about all the things you don’t know how to do, because someone else will do them for you, freeing you up to focus exclusively on what you do best. Whether it’s a partnership, new hire, or freelancer, there is someone out there who can help you achieve your goals—and they’ll be happy to do so. You just need to find them!
    These tips are simple, but I guarantee that any entrepreneur who follows them will be able to make 2021 their best year yet.