GIARDINI VATICANI

The Vatican Gardens cover 30 hectares and occupy well over two-thirds of the total area of the Vatican State. With 300 plant species, a hundred fountains and 6,500 plants, the Vatican Gardens are an unexpected oasis in the heart of Rome, with breathtaking views of St. Peter's Basilica! A true synthesis of art and nature, this green setting was created by Pope Niccolò III in 1279, who created his first vegetable garden with medicinal plants. But it was in the 16th century, during the pontificate of Julius II, that the landscape was remodeled according to a plan by Bramante.

Palazzo del Governatorato dello Stato della Città del Vaticano. The Palazzo del Governatorato was built in 1929 by the architect Giuseppe Momo and houses the services of the cardinal who presides over the Governorate and the Pontifical Commission of the Vatican City State. In front, a parterre bears the coat of arms of the pope in office.

The Vatican Station. The Vatican station was also built by the architect Giuseppe Momo, in 1929. It was necessary to make a large opening in the wall of the City, in the form of a closed arch, through a heavy metal door with hydraulic movement. The first locomotive entered the Vatican in 1934.

Palazina dell'Arcipetre. The archpriest of St. Peter's Basilica has his office in this small palace. He presides over the chapter of the basilica and directs the Fabrique de la basilique, the organization in charge of the restoration of St. Peter's and the archaeological excavations in the necropolis.

Palazzo della Canonica, Sagrestia. Neither Michelangelo nor Maderno had drawn the plans for a sacristy for the basilica. It was built in the eighteenth century and is accessed through two corridors. One leads to the sacristy itself and the other to the historical and artistic museum of the Treasury of St. Peter.

Domus Santae Marthae. This guest house can accommodate 120 guests. In 2005, it was the home of the cardinals who met in conclave for the election of the new pope.

Piazza dei Protomartiri romani. This small square is dedicated to the Christian martyrs of the first centuries of the Church. From here the visits to the excavations of the necropolis start, at the Scavi office.

Campo Santo Teutonico. The constitution of a Schola Francorum dates back to Charlemagne. Later, during the pilgrimages of Germans, the college served as a hospice. The Teutonic cemetery is reserved for German members of the curia and church services and was originally intended for pilgrims.

Aula Paolo VI. The Paul VI Hall was commissioned to the architect Pier Luigi Nervi and inaugurated by Paul VI in 1971. Its modern structure contrasts with the other buildings in the vicinity, but it can accommodate 6,000 people seated and 4,000 standing. It is partly on Italian territory.

Il Collegio etiopico. Like the Teutonic College, this building served as a home for Ethiopian monks, who also have their own church of St. Stephen of the Abyssinians within the city walls. Its modern version was built in 1929 by the same Giuseppe Momo.

Il giardino all'italiana. The Italian garden was designed in the 16th century in the form of a boxwood labyrinth and surrounded by cypresses, pines and cycas, which are palms of the fern family. It is home to a well-named bird: the monk parakeet.

The trasmittente Marconi plant. Named after the creator of Vatican Radio, this rarely used center can be used by the Holy Father for his radio statements. It is the historic site of the launch of Vatican Radio in 1931, and the microphone with which Pius XI broadcast his first message is still in place.

Mura leonine. Behind the southernmost radio antenna is an ancient wall: one of the three sections of the Leonine enclosure, built in the 9th century by Leo IV.

San Giovanni Tower. The Leonine wall still has towers, including the one named after the evangelist. It was built by John XXIII, who wanted to take refuge here.

The eliporto. It was built in 1976, at the western end of the walls. The Pope mainly uses a helicopter to go to Castel Gandolfo and to the airport.

The grotta di Lourdes. A faithful reproduction of the famous French grotto.

Radio Vaticana direzione. The St. Nicholas Tower is the headquarters of Vatican Radio.

Fontana dell'Aquilone. The Fountain of the Eagle is easily spotted at the eastern end of the Leonine Wall. It was built by the architect Jan Van Santen for Paul V in the early 17th century. It is dominated by an eagle, heraldic symbol of the Borghese.

The casina del Giardiniere. Going down and around the statue of St. Peter, we reach the house called the Gardener. A part of the building is a reuse of the Leonine wall. It is inhabited by the chief gardener of the city.

The Pontifical Academy of Sciences. The Pontifical Academy of Sciences is one of the open academies whose mission is to contribute to universal research other than in religious disciplines.

La casina di Pio IV. The Villa Pia, a superb complex of four buildings surrounding a marble courtyard, was designed by the architect Pirro Ligorio.

Muro di Berlino. To salute the role of Pope John Paul II in the collapse of the Soviet ideology and empire, a colored section of the Berlin Wall was offered to the Pontiff.