beach holiday / 12.06.2022

Vatican Gardens: guided tour in Russian. The Vatican on your own: what a traveler needs to know? Vatican Museums: what to look for

The meeting with the Pope, of course, should not take place here, but in life everything is possible. After all, it is along the paths of this garden that Pope Francis walks and jog. And before him, it was done for several centuries by those who remained in history forever. Walking along these paths, they talked with God. In the gardens of the Vatican, it is impossible to think about the bad. All this splendor is created so that the body rests and the soul sings.

A nice bonus only for our readers - a discount coupon when paying for tours on the site until September 30:

AF500guruturizma - promo code for 500 rubles for tours from 40,000 rubles
AFTA2000Guru - promo code for 2,000 rubles. for tours to Thailand from 100,000 rubles.

And many more advantageous offers from all tour operators you will find on the website. Compare, choose and book tours at the best prices!

The Vatican, as a state, was recognized in 1929, but its history began a very long time ago. This place was considered holy for more than three hundred years after the birth of Christ, so people did not live here. In 326, a basilica was built on the burial site of St. Peter, who was the first head of the Christian church. After that, people began to come and settle here to be closer to God. The gardens of the Vatican were founded by Pope Nicholas III, who built a new palace in the Vatican in the 13th century and made the first plantings. Originally there was a garden of medicinal plants. Over the following centuries, each pontiff contributed something of his own to the design of this part of the Vatican.

A place to relax and love work

The Pope has to work almost around the clock, so everything possible has been created here for outdoor recreation. Yes, and the inhabitants of this smallest state prefer their green wealth to the bustle of the city. Any subject has his favorite corner, where someone prays and talks to God, and someone just relaxes in the fresh air. 30 gardeners are doing their favorite work in this delightful corner of the Vatican, which occupies almost half of the state - about 23 hectares. Not a single plant is forgotten here and thanks for the care with its lush greenery or abundant and long flowering. This is facilitated by the Vatican Hills, located very conveniently. All plants are on their southern side and are protected from the winds by the famous wall, which is now almost completely covered with ivy from bottom to top, and does not look like an awesome stone block. The mild climate of this part of Italy, where there is no frost, and the fertile land make it possible to grow the most exotic plants.

In any, even dry, summer, nature here is fragrant thanks to the automatic irrigation system. Water became plentiful after an aqueduct was built in the 17th century, supplying water from a lake located 40 kilometers away.

Every corner has its own era

The gardens were not originally planned as a single ensemble. No one sat down at the table and drew up their plan. Therefore, here every corner is its own era. Finding a place to relax and contemplate in this earthly paradise is not difficult. Pope Pius IV was a lover of landscape art and built several buildings during his reign. He surrounded them with fountains and waterfalls. In the 17th century, Pope Clement XI was fond of breeding rare subtropical plants. For this, a corner was created under the cover of a wall that would protect them from the winds. Over time, it turned into a whole forest of exotic plants, which, at the behest of man, coexist perfectly here. A banana tree and a flowering oleander are nowhere in nature you will find in the neighborhood. And here everything is possible.

English garden

The English garden, where Pope Francis likes to run in the morning, is beautiful with its small waterfall - an exact copy of the real one. There are also many statues and columns, picturesque fragments covered with greenery of centuries. It would seem that they are scattered randomly, but there is no discomfort in the perception of this picture, so skillfully the hand of the landscape architect entered them into this landscape.

Italian garden

The chief gardener of the Vatican gardens notes the beauty of the Italian Garden with its lush vegetation and rare species. The unique red locust tree has cockscomb-like flowers and blooms nine months of the year. In this part of the gardens, azaleas bloom luxuriantly, planted in pots, placed on stands and right on the ground. Clay vessels, seemingly scattered in disorder, give this landscape an antiquity.

french gardens

The hallmark of this magnificence is the French gardens, the highlight of which are the green arches, located in many over the paths. The job of the gardeners here is to keep them in perfect condition. The yew that wraps around these arches needs to be trimmed regularly, as do the many borders of this plant that frame the lawns. The same plant is the basis for beautiful compositions, which are the highest aerobatics of topiary art.

From the point of view of landscape art, the gardens of the Vatican are not an example. Many note the excessive eclecticism of gardens, that is, a mixture of different styles. But that's the beauty of it. Where else can you find blooming magnolias, cacti of various colors, evergreen trees, cedars and African palm trees in the same garden. Despite the fact that all this diversity feels great. African green parrots that live in this garden and build their nests look like birds of paradise. It must be seen, felt and inhaled by all cells of the soul and body!

A true garden of paradise!

How to get to the Vatican Gardens

Unlike the Vatican Museums, where everyone can almost always get in, the gardens can only be entered as part of a group. There are few such groups, since after all this state is the current residence of the pope. For its security, only a limited number of groups are created in strictly certain time. Many people dream of visiting this paradise. This must be taken care of in advance. On the official website of the Vatican, you can buy a ticket online, then exchange it for a paper copy at the entrance and ...

In order not to be excruciatingly painful that time is wasted, it is necessary to prepare for this action in advance. It is not advisable to go to the Vatican in overly open clothes. Let it be better light, weightless and natural. Then light, spacious trousers and a shirt will not be a burden to you even in the heat. You can’t tear anything in the garden, lag far behind the guide and take pictures of the Swiss guards, who are the personal army of the Pope and his guards. The same security will search you at the entrance. No need to take with you overall things, knives, tripods. You can enjoy the scenery and take pictures, capture, remember. Take a spare memory card and charge the camera.

How to get on your own

Fiumicino International Airport receives flights from all over the world. Buses or electric trains run directly from the airport to Termini Station in Rome. There is a subway under the station. Take line A to the Ottaviano-San Pietro station, from there 10 minutes walk to St. Peter's Square. Bus number 64 departs from Rome Station (Stazione Termini), number 60 from Republic Square (Repubblica). Just ask the driver: "Vaticano?". Hiking routes for those staying in Rome itself, the best way to get to the Vatican. Here all roads lead to the heart of the capital.

Welcome to the Garden of Eden!

The Vatican Gardens is a huge park area in the state, occupying more than half of it, and this is neither more nor less than 20 hectares. They are located in the west of the state.

Mostly gardens cover the Vatican Hill. The Vatican walls limit the territory of the gardens. On the territory there are many springs, fountains, luxurious subtropical vegetation.

The most luxurious lawns in the Vatican Gardens are located in front of the Cathedral of St. Perth and the Vatican Museums. They were created in the Renaissance and Baroque era.

In addition to man-made gardens, there are also natural areas. The most interesting is located between the administration building of the Vatican and the Leonine Wall. There are just thickets of a variety of trees - pines, oaks, palms, cypresses and so on.

The oldest garden in the Vatican is located at the house of Pius 4, the construction of which began under Paul 4, but ended under Pius 4 in 1558. However, back in 1288, by order of Nicholas 4, his personal physician grew medicinal plants here. Of course, nothing has been left of them for a long time, but there are several long-lived pines, whose age ranges from 600 to 800 years, as well as Lebanese cedars, which are 300-400 years old.

How to get to the Vatican Gardens?

Since the Vatican is a separate state, you need to purchase separate tickets to visit the Vatican Gardens. And if earlier the only way to get here was to pre-register for an excursion as part of an excursion group with a guide, then recently it is allowed to visit the gardens in droves on Eco-buses of 28 people each. The ride lasts an hour, during which time the audio guide tells the story in English, German, Spanish, French or Italian.

Such tourist buses run in the morning from 8.00 to 14.00 every day, except Sundays and public holidays. They leave every half hour.

we are heading to the Vatican gardens, looking at the views of Rome along the way, which look amazingly cute from a height (we couldn’t resist and took a picture of a colorful underwear that a certain Italian housewife hung on her spacious loggia that day)

Vatican gardens.

Those days when I wandered idly through the Vatican Gardens were my happiest days in Rome. I enjoyed the singing of birds, the like of which I have not heard anywhere else. The gardens I found very exquisite. There are quiet corners under oaks and horse chestnuts, from where you can’t even see the dome of St. Peter’s Cathedral and you can’t hear any sounds, except for the splashing of fountains, and also, perhaps, the creak of an old gardener’s cart or the noise of a water cannon installed by him (G. W. Morton)

During the walk you will be shown the Villa of Pius IV - a small villa-cottage richly decorated with mosaics, built according to ancient Roman models.

You will also be shown the palace of the Vatican government, consisting of cardinals - the monumental palazzo Governatorato

And you will also see many nice elements of landscape gardening decor (many of which, in a terribly distorted form, can now be seen in plaster form in summer cottages near Moscow)

But what you definitely won’t see in dachas near Moscow is flocks of bright green parrots that make such huge nests on the Vatican pines

And such luxurious flowers in early October we no longer bloom

A shady alley leads us to a sloping lawn with an elaborate array of various exotic plants.

For those who came to see the gardens directly, all plants are provided with a nameplate.

Ahem. Beautiful, of course. But I can't help but notice that a set of these exotics will meet you in almost any even a three-star hotel somewhere in Egypt.

The Vatican Station is the cleanest and least crowded station in the world (if dad wants to go somewhere by train, a train will leave from here, although last time that was decades ago).

The view of the dome of St. Peter's Basilica is present almost anywhere in the Vatican gardens.

But we will go to the cathedral itself in another part of my story -

And yet, walking through the gardens, you will see the ancient Vatican walls and towers.

Age-old steps covered with moss and mysterious grottoes

The famous Vatican Radio broadcasts all over the world from here

At the highest point of the Vatican Gardens is the Vatican radio station. Since this part of the hill was never rebuilt, never leveled, like many of the famous Seven Hills, it retained its original height. Antennas "Radio Vatican" - identification marks of Rome.

Parking lot of cardinal (?) motorcycles

Among the wonders of the Vatican, I will always remember the imposing building with the words written on the wide gate: "Raedis Pontificum Servandis" ("For the carriages of the pope") - in other words, the pope's carriage house. Now it's a garage. The doors were open, and at the entrance was a black car with the license plate "SCV 1" - an American car of a special design, with a glass roof and only one throne-like rear seat. By the way, "SCV" is an abbreviation for Vatican numbers. (G.W. Morton)

Everything in these gardens is made for the delight of the eye and spirit.

Over the past eighty years, many good and pious people have loved these gardens: here, under the oaks, Pius IX sometimes rode on his white mule;

Leo XIII, Saint Pius X, Benedict XV, Pius XI and, of course, Pius XII walked and prayed here.

Although now the popes are no longer imprisoned, as in prison, in their palace, during their voluntary imprisonment they managed to give the gardens a uniqueness that still exists; and it is impossible to walk here, or sit under the trees, or look at the fountains (very modest in appearance - you can see these in an ordinary garden, and they are not at all like the huge papal fountains of Rome), so that your imagination does not draw the white figures of "captive popes" for you under the old walls. (G.W. Morton)

Let the fountains, according to Morton, be unsightly, but you can drink delicious crystal clear water from them.

And sit in the shade on a marble bench, on which, perhaps, one of the pontiffs indulged in lofty thoughts

It is unlikely that tourists will be able to meet the Vatican residents, at best they will pass by in cars - during tourist excursions they avoid showing up in the gardens. Hoping to meet the pope in the gardens is a utopia, the last pontiff walked here once, and the current pontiff has never walked at all.

The gardens are carefully looked after by specially trained people

In the process of walking through the gardens, they (alas) will not let you fight off the group and get lost, the guide and the local gendarmerie are watching this - we were regularly counted over our heads in melodious Italian (it seems 33 people, and they were very scared when someone was missing)

The tour ends in the lobby of the museums, from here you can start exploring them, but on your own. Don't forget to give the receiver to the guide. Headphones can be left as a keepsake.

There is a state in the world, half of the area of \u200b\u200bwhich is occupied by gardens. They spread over 23 hectares in the western part of the Vatican, and are surrounded by ancient fortifications. Giardini Vaticani is not just a park, but a complex of ancient trees, evergreens, statues, fountains and buildings.

Short story

Land on the site of the current gardens has existed since ancient Roman times. On the territory, fenced on three sides by the Vatican wall, there have long been several springs. Thanks to them, this area had no lack of water.

The first mention of gardens dates back to the 13th century. It is believed that they were laid on the Vatican hill by Pope Nikolo III. The Vatican Gardens have retained their original appearance on the site between the administration and the Leonine Wall (previously protecting the Vatican from attacks). Here you can see dense thickets of pines, oaks, cedars and cypresses. Other old-timers are olive trees. Some of them were planted in the Middle Ages.

Medicinal and edible plants were originally bred in the forest-free areas of the gardens. Over time, the gardens of the Vatican lost their economic importance and from the 15th century. began to serve a purely decorative function.

The gardens were formed over the centuries, which left their mark on their different areas. Almost every dad contributed something of his own. Large-scale landscape works were carried out in the 16th century. under Pope Julius II. The project was developed by famous Italian artists. According to him, the gardens were divided into three parts.

From Pope Pius IV, fountains and waterfalls remained in the gardens. Clement XI loved rare and subtropical plants. Thanks to him, a banana tree and an oleander, which are not adjacent in nature, turned out to be nearby. Medieval buildings were added to the ancient statues, then fountains with the coats of arms of the popes that came into fashion. All this was delicately integrated into the rich and varied vegetation.

Structure and features

The Vatican Gardens are divided into thematic areas - French, Italian and English. The metal arches of the French Garden are entwined with roses, yews and other plants. They are often featured on travel brochures. Especially popular is the dome of St. Petra inside winding green arches. In the French Park there is a large green labyrinth. Here, the grottoes of Lourdes, completely covered with ivy, are a copy of the original French ones. They contain the figure of the Virgin Mary (which the future Saint Bernadette saw in this French city in the middle of the 18th century).

The real decoration of the Italian Garden is the exotic "red acacia". Its natural dislocation is South America, Africa, Australia, Japan. From April to December, visitors can admire the coral-red cockscomb-shaped flowers. In addition to being decorative, wood is also utilitarian. Musical instruments are made from porous wood, jewelry is made from seeds, and fabric dye is made from flowers.

Beautiful azaleas grow in large round pots in the Italian Park. Here you can also find large round vessels. In them, buried up to the neck in the ground, food was stored before the advent of refrigerators.

In the English Park, the natural landscape is skillfully imitated. Seemingly chaotic heaps of stones, interspersed with columns and statues, are actually man-made. A small artificial waterfall and a fountain with a stone statue of a kite stand out. It was built to commemorate the laying of an aqueduct here, and is a waterfall breaking out of the rock.

Along the paths of the English Park, the current 80-year-old Pope Francis and his older brother make their morning exercise, and with a jog. In order not to interfere with the pontiff, the first visitors are allowed here no earlier than 10 am.

A separate section of the gardens is allocated for the placement of trees and plants - gifts received by dads. The harmonious placement of trees of different climatic zones is a difficult task. But it is successfully solved by landscape designers. And the daily care of the Vatican gardens is carried out by more than three dozen gardeners, of which only one lives on their territory.

There are many succulents in the gardens - aloe, agaves, cacti. The stone wall planted by them is unusual. Palm trees have been planted around the Governor's Palace. There is also an original composition of boxwood and flowers, consisting of two sections. The first one is unchanged. It depicts the keys of St. Peter - the first Pope. On the second is the individual coat of arms of the current Pope. This drawing changes periodically. In the gardens, the statue of St. Petra is installed in the geographical center of the Vatican.

A walk through the Vatican Gardens brings back the idea of paradise. The impression is reinforced by African green parrots, which play the role of birds of paradise. The first parrot was presented to the pope in the 15th century, without saying the name of the bird. Exotic birds were called papagallo - "papal rooster".

As you can see, the Vatican Gardens consist of sections of different styles. Such eclecticism, oddly enough, gives them a special appeal. It is enhanced by beautiful views from several viewing platforms located here.

There are several buildings in the gardens. Among them, a small elegant villa of Pope Pius IV, built in the 16th century, stands out. Its façade is decorated with statues and ornaments, while the interior is decorated with gilded stucco (artificial marble) and decorated with frescoes. Now it houses the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, which studies the relationship between natural sciences and religion.

Since 1976, a helicopter air station has been operating on the territory of the gardens - a helioport, connecting the papal state with Roman airports. And in the high point stands the Vatican radio station.

How to get to the gardens?

The Vatican Gardens are much more difficult to visit than the museums. No more than one or two tourist groups are allowed daily, always accompanied by a Vatican guide.

You should first join the emerging groups on the site in absentia. After that, in advance (possible 2 months in advance) book tickets on the Vatican website. There are no separate tickets to the garden, and you need to issue a single one, including a visit (without a queue!) And famous museums. The cost is 32 EUR. After paying with Visa and Master Card, you will receive a confirmation by e-mail, which should be printed out and taken with you on a trip.

Please arrive at Piazza San Pietro 20 minutes before the start of the tour. Tourist clothing should exclude shorts and open shoulders. No need to take bulky bags with you. Booking confirmation must be shown to the security officer at the entrance to the museums, who will direct the tourist to a special box office, where the printout will be exchanged for an entrance ticket and they will provide headphones and an audio guide. During the tour, you can take pictures (but not the Swiss guards), and video filming is prohibited.

Tours last 2 hours. They are held:

from March to July from 11 a.m. daily, except Wednesday and Sunday;
in August-September from 10 on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays;
from October to February from 11 a.m. on Saturdays.

Growing tourist demand has recently prompted the Vatican administration to introduce a more convenient, alternative way to visit. Guided tours of the gardens only are carried out in eco-minibuses with a capacity of 28 people. They run daily, except Wednesday, Sunday and holidays, every half an hour from 10 am to 1 pm. During an hour-long excursion, the bus makes 12 stops without tourists leaving. Ticket price - 15 EUR for adults and 11 EUR for persons 6-18 years old.

History of occurrence

The history of the Vatican Gardens dates back to ancient times. The first mentions of it as a holy place are found in the chronicles of Ancient Rome, when Roman soothsayers (augurs) uttered their prophecies on the Vatican Hill. Because of this, the surroundings of the hill were considered a holy place, and people were forbidden to establish settlements there.

After the adoption of Christianity, the Vatican Hill and the area around it were still considered sacred. The only building, the basilica at the burial place of the first head of the Christian church - St. Peter, was built in 326 AD. Over time, the dwellings of priests began to appear around it.

According to legend, the first garden of the Vatican was laid out around the new palace of Pope Nicholas III. True, it was not a garden in the modern sense, rather, it was a small nursery of medicinal plants. Since then, each pope added something of his own to the arrangement of gardens, until centuries later the Vatican Gardens became the pinnacle of landscape art.

Green paradise device

Due to the fact that the landscape of the Vatican gardens was created without any plan and scheme, and each subsequent pope tried to expand and improve their design, an unusual beautiful place for rest and reflection.

All parts of the garden differ from each other, even with a strong desire, it will not be possible to find similar ones. There is only one similarity: thanks to the tireless work of 30 gardeners, all the plants in the garden look well-groomed. The basis of the Vatican Gardens is made up of evergreen trees: cedars, pines, boxwood, olives, because of them a riot of greenery continues all year round.

A mild subtropical climate prevails in this part of Italy, so even capricious exotic plants grow well here. And the collection of cacti collected from all over the world will leave an unforgettable impression.

From the outside world, the gardens are fenced off by high walls erected during the Renaissance. Previously, they served to protect against attacks, but now they perform a rather decorative function. Partially they collapsed, and the remains of the stone walls, densely overgrown with ivy and other climbing plants, do not seem intimidating at all.

In order for the gardens to have uninterrupted water supply even during the dry summer months, an aqueduct was built in the 17th century, through which water flows from a lake located forty kilometers away.

french gardens

French gardens are considered one of the hallmarks of this well-groomed landscape park. They are decorated with numerous green arches entwined with climbing roses and yew. Many travel brochures have a picture of the dome of St. Peter's Basilica among the flowering arches. Another highlight of the French gardens is a large green labyrinth, the smooth walls of which consist of carefully trimmed evergreen shrubs.

There you can also admire the famous Lourdes grottoes, the stone walls of which are densely overgrown with dense ivy. These grottoes are an exact copy of the original located in France. Among the thickets of dark green ivy, you can see the statue of the Virgin Mary, depicted as a teenage girl.

In general, on the territory of the Vatican Gardens in Rome there are many statues, from ancient antique to masterpieces of modern art.

Italian garden

The decoration of the Italian Park are numerous red acacia trees. The flowers of this tree are extremely unusual - they resemble a cockscomb not only in shape, but also in their coral-red color. The flowering period of the red acacia is more than nine months (from April to December), so guests of the gardens can admire their unusual beauty for a long time.

Throughout the Italian Park there are ceramic vessels with blooming azaleas. Many are installed directly on the ground, some are located on special decorative stands.

And yet, walking through the Italian part of the Vatican Gardens, you can see one of the variants of the ancient refrigerator - large ceramic vessels with a tight-fitting lid. Our ancestors buried such pots up to their necks in the ground, and food was preserved in them even in hot weather.

English park

When visiting the English Park, one gets the impression that this is a piece of wild untouched nature, which the hands of designers have not touched. In fact, the opposite is true, the location of each tree and each supposedly chaotically lying stone was carefully thought out by talented gardeners. Therefore, it is not surprising that the current dad chose the English Park for morning runs.

There are many statues, columns and decorative stones on the territory. Sometimes it seems that part of the column has fallen from antiquity - in fact, this is a well-adjusted design move. And it seems that the natural heaps of rapids and whirlpools of the "Little Falls" fountain were created by the hands of industrious servants.

How to get to the Vatican Gardens

Unlike absolutely free viewing, visiting the gardens at the Pope's residence is strictly regulated. For tourist groups, they are open on all days except Wednesdays, Sundays and holidays.

Usually there is only one excursion per day for a limited group of guests, it is extremely rare that there are two excursions. Therefore, it is better for those who wish to sign up in advance, at least two months in advance. You can do this on the official portal of the Vatican by choosing the time and date of your visit. Then you need to pay for a combined ticket. Buying a single ticket also gives you the opportunity to skip the line to visit all the museums of the state in the state. You can use it until 18 pm.

Tours are conducted only by special guides serving in the Vatican. Even when ordering an individual excursion, it will be carried out as part of a general group. Tourists are provided with an audio guide in English, Spanish, German or Italian. For Russian-speaking guests, it is better to choose an individual guide in advance.

Visiting Rules

Given that the Vatican Gardens are not only a beautiful landscape park, but also the residence of the current head of the Catholic Church, there are quite a few rules when examining them.

It is not recommended to come on an excursion to the Vatican Gardens in overly open clothes (shorts and T-shirts with bare shoulders are prohibited). Also, you can’t take dimensional things with you, even you may be asked to leave a camera tripod at the entrance. Before the start of the visit, the polite guardsmen from the Pope's security service will definitely inspect things. By the way, photographing these brave Swiss guards is prohibited.

During the tour, it is forbidden to separate from the main group, leave the paths of the garden, touch or pluck any plants. It is still not possible to shoot video, although you can take pictures of everything. It is better to charge the camera well and take a spare memory card with you, you will want to capture everything you see.

How are the tours

It seems that two hours allotted for visiting the Vatican Gardens of the Vatican will not be enough to see the huge natural landscape park. However, a professional tour is organized in such a way that it captures most of the significant parts of the garden. During the tour, in addition to a walk in the garden, you can visit the Church of Santo Stefano del Abessini, the Palazzo San Carlo, the House of the Archpastors, the Gallinaro Tower, the Governor's Palace and many more architectural and landscape treasures of the Vatican.

A few years ago, due to the increase in the number of people dreaming of visiting the Vatican Gardens, the administration developed a special bus tour.

It is held only in the gardens, guests are transported along shady alleys in small eco-cars. The duration of such an excursion is about an hour, during which time the bus makes 12 stops so that guests can better view the picturesque landscape. However, you are not allowed to get off the bus during the tour, even during stops.

The well-groomed gardens and parks of the Vatican are beautiful at any time of the year, peace and serenity always reign in them...

Caucasus on two wheels. Gorge Adyl-Su. Alpine camp "Shkhelda" List of personal equipment

How to choose an outdoor tent Tips for choosing a tent

Vatican Gardens: guided tour in Russian. The Vatican on your own: what a traveler needs to know? Vatican Museums: what to look for