Castel Gandolfo - Trip 2014
It's a sunny but also very hot June day... families have been waiting for days for this event to experience all together. Strollers, games, hats, colorful bags, children's joyful screams echo under the Dome... it's June 25th. First stop. The Vatican farms of Castel Gandolfo.
What an emotion and what a special gift to be able to enjoy the beauty of those places!
We are welcomed by the perfection of the spaces - expertly cared for - the scent of flowers and the welcoming coolness of the shade... the voices of children break that silence.
The complex extends over the country villa that Emperor Domitian had built on the shores of Lake Albano. The villa was adapted in the 13th century and again in the 16th century but only a century later it became the summer residence of the pontiffs.
A path that fills the eyes with beauty opens our gaze towards the farm, here it is!
In small groups we enter to admire the wonders of creation up close: donkeys, cows, pigs, chickens... Pius XI wanted a farm in the papal residence villa, and little by little the farm has expanded and changed; equipped with the most modern and sophisticated technologies, it retains the appearance of the ancient rustic. It is surrounded by greenery, among fruit trees, olive trees and flowers.
A few jogs, a few souvenir photos and then a snack together while waiting to reach the Cavallino Rosso farmhouse.
Our buses "loaded" with children and families reach the farm managed by the very affectionate and talented Carla who has prepared a mouth-watering lunch for everyone. Also welcoming us is the Mayor of Castel Gandolfo Milvia Monachesi.
The entertainment guys are ready to entertain our little friends with dances, games, shows... we feel like family and we want to thank God for this year spent together.
For this reason, at the end of lunch, before starting the entertainment and watching the Western Gymkhana (a test of skill and speed on horseback) organized in our honor, we gather in prayer, distributing to all the families some wonderful colored plants with the desire to leave them an important message: life must be protected, cared for with love and patience... any form of life, that of a child, of a seed, of an animal... one's own life!
