Vatican Gardens to go or not. The Vatican Gardens are a picturesque park area. General information about the Vatican Gardens

A 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 jogs. And before him, this was done for several centuries by those who remained in history forever. Walking along these paths they talked with God. In the Vatican gardens it is impossible to think about bad things. All this splendor was created for the body to rest and the soul to sing.

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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 no people lived 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 here and settle in order to be closer to God. The Vatican Gardens 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 here. Over the following centuries, each pontiff contributed something different to the design of this part of the Vatican.

A place for relaxation and favorite work

The Pope has to work almost around the clock, so everything possible has been created here for outdoor recreation. And the residents of this smallest state prefer their green wealth to the bustle of the city. Every person has their own favorite corner, where some pray and talk to God, and others simply relax in the fresh air. 30 gardeners do their favorite job 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 your care with its lush greenery or abundant and long flowering. This is facilitated by the Vatican Hills, which are very conveniently located. All the plants are on their southern side and are protected from the winds by the famous wall, which is now almost entirely covered with ivy from bottom to top, and does not look like an intimidating block of stone. The mild climate of this part of Italy, where there is no frost, and fertile soil allow you to grow the most exotic plants.

In any summer, even a dry one, nature here is fragrant thanks to the automatic watering system. There was plenty of water 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 made their plan. Therefore, every corner here is its own era. Finding a place for relaxation and contemplation in this earthly paradise is not difficult. Pope Pius IV was a lover of park 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 purpose, 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. You will not find a banana tree and a flowering oleander anywhere in nature in the neighborhood. And here everything is possible.

English garden

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

Italian garden

The head gardener of the Vatican Gardens celebrates 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 directly on the ground. Clay vessels, scattered seemingly in disarray, give this landscape an antique feel.

French gardens

The hallmark of this splendor is the French gardens, the highlight of which are the green arches, many located above the paths. The gardeners' job 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 border 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 Vatican Gardens are not a model. Many people note the excessive eclecticism of the 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 fir trees, cedars and African palms in one garden? Despite the fact that all this diversity feels great. The African green parrots that live in this garden and build their nests look like birds of paradise. This needs to be seen, felt and inhaled with all the cells of the soul and body!

Truly a Garden of Eden!

How to get to the Vatican Gardens

Unlike the Vatican Museums, where anyone can almost always enter, access to the gardens is only possible as part of a group. There are few such groups, since this state is, after all, the active residence of the pope. For its safety, only a limited number of groups are created at strictly defined times. Many people dream of visiting this paradise. This needs to 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 one at the entrance and...

In order to avoid the excruciating pain of wasting time, you need to prepare for this action in advance. It is not advisable to go to the Vatican in excessively revealing clothes. Let it be light, weightless and natural. Then light, roomy trousers and a shirt will not be a burden for you even in the heat. You cannot tear anything in the garden, lag far behind the guide and take photographs of the Swiss Guards, who are the personal army of the Pope and his guard. The same security will inspect you at the entrance. There is no need to take bulky items, knives, or tripods with you. You can enjoy the landscapes and take pictures, capture them, remember them. Take a spare memory card and charge the camera.

How to get there on your own

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

Welcome to the Garden of Eden!

we are heading towards the Vatican gardens, simultaneously glancing at the views of Rome, which look surprisingly nice from above (we couldn’t resist taking a photo of the colorful underwear that that day an Italian housewife hung on her spacious loggia)

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 never heard anywhere else. I found the gardens to be quite exquisite. There are quiet corners under the oaks and horse chestnuts, from where you can't even see the dome of St. Peter's and hear no sounds except the splashing of the fountains, and perhaps the creaking of the gardener's old cart or the noise of the water cannon he installed (G. W. Morton)

During the walk, you will be shown the Villa of Pius IV - a small villa-dacha 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 pleasant elements of landscape gardening decor (many of which, in a terribly distorted form, can now be seen in plaster form at dachas near Moscow)

But what you definitely won’t see at dachas near Moscow are flocks of bright green parrots that build such huge nests on Vatican pines

And such luxurious flowers no longer bloom here at the beginning of October.

A shady alley leads us to a sloping lawn with a carefully thought out selection of various exotic plants

For those who came to see the gardens directly, all plants are equipped with a name plate.

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

Vatican Station is the cleanest and least crowded station in the world (if the pope decides to go somewhere by train, the train will depart from here, although the last time was several 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 while walking through the gardens, you will see the ancient Vatican walls and towers

Moss-covered centuries-old steps and mysterious grottoes

The famous Vatican Radio broadcasts all over the world from here

At the highest point of the Vatican Gardens stands the Vatican Radio Station. Since this part of the hill was never rebuilt or leveled, like many of the famous Seven Hills, it retained its original height. The antennas of Vatican Radio are the identifying marks of Rome.

Parking for 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 Pope’s carriages”)—in other words, the Pope’s carriage house. Now it's a garage. The doors were open, and at the entrance stood 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 back seat. By the way, “SCV” is an abbreviation for Vatican numbers. (G.W. Morton)

Everything in these gardens is designed to please the eyes and spirit.

Over the past eighty years, these gardens have been loved by many good and pious people: here, under the oak trees, 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 the popes are no longer imprisoned in their palace, during their voluntary imprisonment they managed to give the gardens a uniqueness that remains to this day; and it is impossible to walk here or sit under the trees, or look at the fountains (very modest in appearance - the kind you can see in an ordinary garden, and they are not at all like the huge papal fountains of Rome) without your imagination drawing white figures of “captive popes” under the old walls. (G.W. Morton)

Even if the fountains, according to Morton, are unsightly, you can drink from them delicious crystal clear water

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

Tourists are unlikely to be able to meet Vatican residents; at best, they will pass by in cars - during tourist excursions they avoid showing themselves 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 here.

The gardens are carefully looked after by specially trained people

While walking through the gardens, you (alas) will not be allowed to get separated from the group and get lost; this is monitored by the guide and the local gendarmerie - we were regularly counted by head in melodious Italian (I think there were 33 people, and they were very scared when someone was missing)

The tour ends in the museum lobby; from here you can begin exploring them, but on your own. Don't forget to give the receiver to the guide. Headphones can be left as a souvenir.

The hells of the Vatican are mysterious, attractive, with a centuries-old history, just like the state to which they belong. For centuries, the papal estates were hidden behind a high wall, protected from prying eyes, as was the private life of the pontiffs. And only recently the gardens opened to the public; the number of excursions is limited, and the procedure for conducting them is strictly regulated.

Dad's collection

The gardens are located on Vatican Hill, covering an area of ​​approximately 20 hectares. They were created without any plan and represent a combination of several parts with different themes. There are natural areas, similar to forest thickets, and man-made landscapes, including almost all the main styles and directions of landscaping, which is not surprising, because the gardens have been grown for several centuries.

At the moment, the papal collection contains about seven thousand plants, including pines, oaks, chestnuts, cedars, cypresses, olives, palm trees, sequoias, boxwoods, bananas, orchids, ivy, etc. There is a collection of succulents that feel quite comfortable under the protection of centuries-old walls There are also very rare trees that can do honor to any botanical garden. Convenient viewing platforms offer beautiful views of both the gardens and the eternal city of Rome itself.

The Vatican gardens are eight centuries old and are considered one of the oldest.

Garden at the Vatican Museum
French garden
Italian garden. Parterre

Creation of the garden

The founder of the gardens is considered to be Pope Nicholas III (1216–1280), who established utilitarian plantings of medicinal plants, vegetable gardens and orchards outside the walls of the Vatican, in the early medieval tradition. Gradually, according to the spirit of the times, aesthetic value took precedence over practical use in the Vatican landscapes. Vast lawns, flower beds, graceful paths, sculptures and buildings appeared in the gardens. The park is decorated with images of both ancient heroes and Christian saints; you can often see statues and picturesque images of the Virgin Mary. Plantings have long been supplied with water using springs, and over time, various fountains appeared in the gardens, some of which are not inferior in their luxury to those of Versailles.

The Vatican entered the Renaissance under the reign of Pope Julius II
(1443–1513). During this period, the gardens were divided into three parts: della Biblioteca, della Pigna and the Belvedere Courtyard. Pope Pius IV (1499–1565) made a significant contribution to the development of gardens. He was known as a man with a light, friendly character and a bright soul. The Pontiff was no stranger to a love of beauty and in 1559 he ordered the creation of a garden in the Renaissance style in the northern part of the Vatican domains. The garden owes to him one of the most beautiful buildings, which is called “the house of Pope Pius IV”. This is a small villa that looks like a carved ivory box.

Pope Gregory XIII (1502–1585) erected the Tower of the Winds on the territory of the gardens, placing an observatory in it. Under Pope Paul V
(1552–1621) the Troyan aqueduct, destroyed by the barbarians, was restored and additional water supply was established from Lake Bracciano, located 40 km from the gardens, and invited Dutch masters decorated the landscapes with ponds, fountains and cascades. The famous Italian masters Antonio Tempesta, Giovanni Maggi and Gianbattista Falda took part in the creation of the Vatican gardens.

From the middle of the 17th century, the Vatican plantings acquired the functions of botanical gardens. Pope Clement XI (1649–1721) was a passionate collector of rare species, and through his efforts the Vatican acquired an interesting collection of subtropical plants.

The first visitors began to be allowed into the gardens under Paul VI (1963–1978). Under him, a garden was built on the roof of the palace.

The gardens occupy half the territory of the Vatican.

House of Pope Pius IV
Flower garden by the wall
Dome of the collection of St. Petra

Italian, French, English

The Vatican landscapes are divided into three main parts: Italian, French and English gardens.

The Italian garden is distinguished by its decorative nature and lush Mediterranean vegetation. Its design actively uses container plantings. However, you can find many interesting exotics here. For example, “red acacia”, or erythrina cockscomb, which got its name because of the coral-red flowers that can be admired most of the year - 9 months. It was planted at the end of the 19th century and is the only survivor of Leo XIII's collection of exotic plants.

The French garden is characterized by strict forms and ornamental plantings. Topiary haircut is widely used. One of the decorations here are arches entwined with roses and other hanging plants. In the same part there is a large green labyrinth.

The romantic landscapes of the English Garden leave an impression of neglect. But such an atmosphere was created deliberately and very skillfully. Plantings imitate natural forest corners, and fragments of columns and ancient statues maintain the spirit of antiquity. This part of the garden is preferred by the current Pope Benedict XVI; here in the mornings he jogs in the company of his brother.

At the top of the gardens, near the chestnut grove, there is any place for dad to walk. The path laid here is covered with a double wall, protecting the pontiff from the winds.

The Lourdes Grottoes are one of the most famous decorations of the garden. The walls of the grottoes are thickly covered with ivy; under the arch of one of the man-made caves there is a sculpture of the Virgin Mary. The composition illustrates the appearance of Our Lady in 1858 to Bernadette Siburu, a young resident of Lourdes.

The Vatican Gardens are decorated with more than 90 fountains. The most famous are the Eagle and the Galley, their author was the Dane Jan van Santen. In the image of an eagle, the symbol of the Borghese family, to which Pope Paul V belonged, is immortalized. The Galera Fountain is a lead model of a ship shooting water jets, it is believed that it illustrates the saying of Pope Urban VIII: “Papal warships spew out not fire, but water, which extinguishes war."

The gardens also have their own long-lived trees. These are two pines, their exact age has not been established, but it is assumed that the “old ladies” are at least 600 years old, or even 800. The venerable Lebanese cedars are two times younger, and some olives have been growing here for more than 500 years.

On a separate territory grow trees received as gifts by the popes from government and public figures and organizations. Since the trees are brought from all over and adapted to different growing conditions, Vatican gardeners have to work hard to make the gifts feel at home on Vatican soil. By the way, dads are given not only plants, but also garden decor items, statues, gazebos, benches, etc.

The Vatican estates also have their own olive groves... More precisely, not groves, but alleys. You can also find single powerful and beautiful specimens.

The Vatican gardens are inhabited by squirrels, rabbits, bats and small rodents. But perhaps the most interesting of the local inhabitants are parrots. They make nests in trees, walk across lawns and fill the surrounding area with harsh cries.

Address, opening hours, how to get there

• Giardini Vaticani
• Address: 00120 Vatican City, Papal See (Vatican City State)
• Telephone: +39 06 6988 4676
• Coordinates: 41.903602 , 12.450196
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Vatican the smallest state in the world,

he owns an area of ​​44 hectares.

But what is even more surprising is that half of this territory is gardens. The design of gardens has been created over centuries by talented masters of landscape art.

Vatican Gardens

Almost every tourist planning a visit to the Vatican State has a desire to visit its gardens. This desire is further strengthened by the fact that many tourists consider this excursion exclusive and only for a select few... And as a result, there is a strong opinion that purchasing tickets on your own is very difficult.

Actually this is not true! Just take care of your entrance tickets in advance!

MORE ABOUT THE EXCURSION:

*Tickets are booked and purchased online on state

the cost of such an excursion is 250 euros + 21 euros (ticket)

number of participants from 1 to 15 people

Reservation is paid on-line

excursion to the Vatican Gardens by bus