Vatican Gardens: guided tour in Russian. Vatican Gardens - a picturesque park area Vatican Gardens to go or not

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.

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

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 safety, only a limited number of groups are created at a strictly defined 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 trails 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!

The Vatican Gardens (Italian: Giardini Vaticani) is a park area covering more than half of the 44 hectares of the Vatican State. Located in the western part of the Vatican.

The Vatican Gardens, covering a total area of ​​more than 20 hectares, mainly cover the Vatican Hill, which rises more than 60 meters above the surrounding area. From the north, south and west, the Gardens are bounded by the Vatican Wall. There are several springs on the territory of the Gardens, which in the Middle Ages supplied the Vatican with water when needed, as well as fed the subtropical vegetation that still grows here.

Gardens of the Vatican:

Most of the Gardens are laid out and tended by man; extensive lawns are located primarily in the flat areas in front of St. Peter's Basilica and the Vatican Museums. A significant part of them was created at the direction of the popes back in the Renaissance and Baroque. The most preserved, "natural" part of the Vatican Gardens is the area between the Leonine Wall and the building where the administration of the Vatican is located. It is a dense thicket of various trees: cedars, pines, oaks, cypresses, palms, etc., covering this hilly area. There are many roads and paths through the gardens. In the western part of the Vatican Gardens is the Vatican Heliport (opened in 1976), connecting the Papal States with Rome's Fiumicino and Ciampino International Airports.

In the gardens of the Vatican, plants of three hundred species thrive, a total of 6,500 specimens, a lot of evergreens, these are cedars, pines, cypresses, boxwood, palm trees, olives, magnolias, ivy and many others. They form the basis of gardens and allow them to be green all year round. I must say that a team of professional gardeners works here, who keep everything in perfect condition. In the gardens there are many emerald lawns, bright flowers, clipped greenery.

Pinacoteca and Casina (Villa-cottage of Pius IV)

Buildings in the gardens of the Vatican:

For the first time, gardens on the territory of the Vatican Hills are mentioned during the time of Pope Nicholas III. At the end of the 13th century, medicinal plants were grown here, as well as vegetables and fruits. During the late Middle Ages, gardens gradually lose their economic importance. In 1485, Pope Innocent VIII began building the Belvedere here (now part of the Vatican Museums). Pope Pius IV was a passionate lover of park management. In 1559, at his direction, a decorative park in the Renaissance style was laid out in the northern part of the gardens, in the center of which a Mannerist-style casino building was built. In 1578, Pope Gregory XIII erected the Tower of the Winds here, in which he placed his astronomical observatory. In 1607, thanks to an additional supply of water from Lake Bracciano located 40 kilometers away, craftsmen from the Netherlands created various fountains, cascades and other water wonders in the gardens.

In the second half of the 17th century, the territory of the Gardens was increasingly used for botanical purposes. So, Pope Clement XI planted here rare species of subtropical plants. Beginning in 1850, a significant part of the Gardens was organized on the model of English garden art. In 1888, Pope Leo XIII opened the Vatican Zoo here.

Numerous species of animals live on the territory of the Vatican Gardens - several varieties of bats, rodents (hamsters, field and forest mice), squirrels, rabbits, various types of birds (including parrots), as well as lizards and snakes.

Cat and Fox in the Vatican Gardens:

The authorities of the city-state of the Vatican announced a hunt for foxes that threaten local cats and other representatives of the fauna. The foxes managed to get into the protected area of ​​the Vatican city-state through the loosely closed gates of the railway station, RIA Novosti reports with reference to Vatican Radio. Officials at the Vatican Gardens have called for a hunt for foxes attacking the birds and cats that live there.

Flowerbed "Papal Coat of Arms" in front of the Governor's Palace:

Magnolias and cypresses, pines and cedars also grow in the Vatican. Palm trees planted near the governor's palace delight the eye - exotic guests from the banks of the Nile. Especially a lot of ivy and boxwood. On the basis of the latter (that is, boxwood) and some other flowering plants, an interesting composition was created in front of the same governor's palace - the coat of arms of the pope. Moreover, the composition consists of two parts: in the first (not changeable) the keys of St. Peter are depicted, and in the second (changeable) - the coat of arms of the pope who is currently ruling. Naturally, every time a new pope is elected, the composition changes. Today, for example, the coat of arms of Pope Benedict XVI flaunts in front of the palace.

Statue of Saint Peter:

French Garden 1:

French Garden 2:

Italian, Renaissance garden:

Italian, Renaissance - clear geometric shapes, lack of colors:

In the gardens of the Vatican:

"Greek Ruins"

There are a lot of statues, columns and stones in the English Park. Moreover, along with the intact ones, there are also picturesque fragments of columns. At first glance, it seems that all the decorative elements are arranged randomly and lie / stand like this for centuries, having managed to become part of nature. In fact, each pebble clearly occupies the place that was deliberately assigned just for it. And, accordingly, the atmosphere of a landscape untouched by centuries, which looks very romantic, was purposefully created by experienced landscapers.

Grotto:

Grottoes of Lourdes, densely entwined with ivy:

Not far from the French garden are the Grottoes of Lourdes, densely entwined with ivy. Moreover, it is so dense that the walls of the grottoes are not visible.

Age-old steps covered with moss and mysterious grottoes:

In the gardens of the Vatican:

A separate part of the Vatican is reserved for a garden, where trees are planted in a certain order, donated each in its time to one or another pope. A whole group of experienced landscape designers is working on the design of this garden, who calculate where it is best to place the plants. And this is a difficult task, since the trees collected in one collection are found in nature in completely different climatic conditions. In addition, it is important to create a picturesque landscape from the total mass with smooth transitions of shapes and colors. But, judging by the delight of numerous spectators, landscapers still manage to cope with the task.

In the gardens of the Vatican:

The gardens are carefully looked after by specially trained people:

In the gardens of the Vatican:

The gardens of the Vatican abound with a huge number of statues created in different eras and in different styles. Among them there are antique works of art, and works of modern sculptors.

Even for such a modern sculpture, there was a place in the gardens of the Vatican:

In the gardens of the Vatican:

"Red acacia", or erythrina cockscomb:

In the Italian Garden, you can admire a unique tree - the "red acacia", or erythrina cockscomb. Under natural conditions, this tree grows in the tropics of South America, Africa, Australia, Japan and the Pacific Islands. The name of the plant was given because of its coral-red flowers, which are shaped like a cockscomb. Blooms "red acacia" 9 months a year: from April to December. However, the plant is interesting not only from the point of view of decorativeness, but also due to the light and porous wood from which musical instruments, children's toys and so on are made. Dye for fabrics and wool is obtained from flowers, and costume jewelry is made from seeds.

Casina - villa-cottage of Pius IV:

In the gardens of the Vatican:

Even a whole wall is planted with cacti:

From the side, such a cactus rocky mound looks fantastic. It should be emphasized that such design fantasy belongs to the group of innovations.

Here, each plant has a label with a description:

Another corner of man-made wildlife:

In the gardens of the Vatican:

Palm Burst:

In the gardens of the Vatican:

The landscapes are complemented by emerald lawns and many lush flower beds. And this is only a small fraction of what grows in the famous gardens. In this regard, it becomes clear why the gardens of the Vatican are called "paradise" all over the world. Moreover, gardens and parks are beautiful at any time of the year! And dozens of gardeners who continuously take care of them bring beauty to almost perfection. In "paradise", presumably, "paradise" birds should live. That is why African green parrots are bred in the Vatican, which freely fly from branch to branch right in front of the astonished tourists.

Parrot nest. A parrot:

Parrots, for example, feel at home in the Vatican and, according to Becci, form entire colonies. “We are talking about parrots that managed to escape from the cage, and they find shelter behind the Vatican train station.” It was here that the motley birds founded a real community. The diversity of other bird species is uncountable, "a unique asset," says Inspector Beccia. In 2009, an unusual albino thrush settled near the Lourdes Grotto, to which the official newspaper Osservatore Romano devoted a large article.

Ceramic benches - a gift from the Amalfi Coast:

It is impossible to indifferently pass by ceramic benches - a gift from the Amalfi Coast, which complemented the lemon trees from this blessed land that have already taken root in the garden.

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

Here, under the oaks, Pius IX sometimes rode on his white mule:

Plinth of the Column of Antoninus Pius. Apotheosis of Antoninus Pius and Faustina

In 1787 the plinth was transferred to the Vatican Museum. Currently, the pedestal is located in front of the entrance to the Vatican Pinakothek.

Relief on the base of the column of Antoninus Pius. White Italian marble. 161 g. Height 2.47 m, width 3.38 m. Rome, Vatican Museums, Cortile delle Corazze.

The base of the column of Antoninus Pius:

The front side of the base of the column of Antoninus Pius:

Front side

An idealized young man is reclining on the ground, straightening his waist and leaning on his right elbow, the young man grasping the obelisk with his left hand. According to Visconti, the figure of a young man symbolizes the Field of Mars with an obelisk, which Augustus, according to Pliny, installed there as a gnomon near the later place of the burning of Antoninus and which was topped with a ball, as the same Pliny reports. As if emerging from the womb of a lying youth, an idealized youth with outstretched legs soars upwards to the right. On his raised left hand he holds a celestial sphere entwined with a snake, the tip of the tail (ancient) hanging over his hand; this is a symbol of eternity or the constellation of the Dragon, next to which are also visible not so much real as symbolically depicted Pisces, Aries and part of Taurus, a crescent is visible near Aries; all this symbolizes the time of death and deification, as interpreted by Bianchini, with whom Visconti agrees. Above the huge outstretched wings, beveled in the direction of flight, the seated figures of Antoninus Pius and Faustina are visible on the wings of the Genius of Death. Next to them, above the wings of the Genius, two accompanying eagles, symbols of deification, fly. On the right, Roma looks at the ascending ones, raising his right hand as a sign of greeting or worship.

Left side of the base of the column of Antoninus Pius:

Left and right sides

Both sides depict the same thing: seventeen horsemen galloping in a closed circle around two groups of foot soldiers, five people each, who are energetically moving towards each other, but this is not an attack. Vignoli already considered this a military maneuver.

Right side of the base of the column of Antoninus Pius:

Buildings in the gardens of the Vatican

On the territory of the Vatican Gardens, among others, there are the following buildings:
* Leonine Wall
* John's tower
* Ethiopian College
* Governor's Palace
* Church of Santo Stefano degli Abyssini
* Directorate of Vatican Radio
* Vatican Station
* Vatican Court of Justice
* Casina (Villa Pius IV - a small villa-dacha, richly decorated with mosaics, built according to ancient Roman models)
*Pontifical Academy of Sciences
* Palazzo San Carlo
* Tower of the Winds
* Gallinaro Tower
* House of archpastors

Governor's Palace:

Papal coat of arms in front of the Governor's Palace:

Casina - villa-cottage of Pius IV:

Casina - villa-cottage of Pius IV:

Casina - villa-cottage of Pius IV:

The famous Vatican Radio broadcasts all over the world from here:

Vatican railway station:

Vatican observatory:

The Vatican Observatory - Specola Vaticana - is a research institute directly subordinate to the Pope. The Vatican Observatory is one of the oldest in Europe. From the 16th century it was located on the territory of the modern Vatican in the so-called. "Tower of the Winds" In con. XIX - beginning. 20th century 2 towers of defensive fortifications were also assigned to the observatory, in which additional equipment was placed. In 1939, the observatory was moved to the pope's country summer residence, Castel Gandolfo. Since 1993, there has also been a branch of the Vatican Observatory in the USA (Tucson, Arizona), where the periodical Vatican Observatory Publications is published. The official publication of the Vatican Observatory is the Annual Report.

Tower of the Winds:

Tower and part of the fortress wall:

Leonine wall and fortress tower:

The Leonine Wall surrounds the Roman district of Borgo and most of the Vatican City State. The remains of part of this wall are located in the western sector of the Papal City-State, in the territory of the Vatican Gardens. Previously, the Leonine Wall served as the outer boundary of the Vatican. The wall was erected in the middle of the 9th century, when the Vatican was still outside the fortress protection of Rome, at the direction of Pope Leo IV (790-855) to protect against attacks by Muslim Arabs who came by sea. The residential area inside the Leonine Wall eventually became known as Leograd (the city of the Lion, lat. Civitas Leonina).

Teutonic cemetery:

Teutonic cemetery. The cemetery, which has been located on the territory of the Vatican since 797. This cemetery is a small German enclave in the Vatican - founded by Charlemagne, this cemetery originally served as the burial place for the Teutonic Knights, and in 1450 pilgrims from German and Dutch speaking countries received the right to be buried in this cemetery. And until now, citizens of Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Belgium, Holland have the right to be buried in this cemetery if they died while visiting Rome.

Ethiopian College:

This college prepares missionaries for the African continent.

This beautiful porch is the entrance to the Ethiopian College:

Pontifical Academy of Natural Sciences:

The Pontifical Academy is located in the Casina building - an elegant villa built in 1561 - the summer residence of Pope Pius IV (1559-1565). The Academy is an independent legal entity of the Papal Curia. Funded by the Vatican and sponsors. Pontifical Academy of Sciences (Italian: Pontificia Accademia delle Scienze) - founded in 1936 by the Roman Catholic Church as a reformed Accademia dei Lincei. The purpose of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences is to investigate the mathematical, physical and natural sciences and related theological issues. The history of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences dates back to the Accademia dei Lincei, founded in Rome in 1603 by the Roman prince Federico Cesi. Chesy wanted his academics to create a research method based on observation and experiment. He called the academy "Accademia dei Lincei" (Rynx-eyed Academy) because the scientists who worked there had to have eyes as sharp as a lynx's in order to penetrate the secrets of nature. One of the most famous members of this Academy was Galileo Galilei, who was elected to it in 1611. Among the members of the Academy there are many famous scientists, many of whom are Nobel Prize winners. Moreover, many of them became members of the Academy even before they received the Nobel Prize. Here are the most famous of them:
* Guglielmo Marconi (Physics, 1909)
* Max Planck (Physics, 1918)
* Niels Bohr (Physics, 1922)
* Paul Dirac (Physics, 1933)
* Erwin Schrödinger (Physics, 1933)
* Alexander Fleming (Physiology, 1945)
* Charles Hard Towns (Physics, 1964)
* Aage Niels Bohr (Physics, 1975)
* David Baltimore (Physiology, 1975)
* Paul Berg (Chemistry, 1980)
* Rita Levi-Montalcini (Physiology, 1986)
* Joseph Murray (Physiology, 1990)
* Gary Becker (Economics, 1992)

Fountains

Fountain "Eagle":

Fountain "Ship":

In the Vatican, even dragons pour out water, not fire:

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.

Quote message Peace and serenity reign in the gardens of the Vatican...

Buongiorno, amici! We have finished our walk in the Sistine Chapel with you... and agreed... But no! Today we will plunge into the peace and serenity of the gardens of the Vatican. And Anatoly Odessit will "immerse" us in their beauty!

Turn on the video and enjoy the magical music!

And this is the Raphael Museum... So dynamically, as if everything happens in life... The School of Athens is a brilliantly executed multi-figure (about 50 characters) composition, which presents ancient philosophers, many of whom Raphael gave the features of his contemporaries, for example , Plato is painted in the image of Leonardo da Vinci, Heraclitus in the image of Michelangelo, and Ptolemy standing at the right edge is very similar to the author of the fresco. It depicts the sages of the whole world, arguing with each other in every way ... Among them is Diogenes with his bowl, reclining on the steps, a figure - very deliberate in his detachment and worthy of praise for beauty and for clothes so suitable for her ... Beauty is of the astrologers and geometers mentioned above, who draw all sorts of figures and signs on the tablets with compasses, is truly inexpressible. From the Internet - why am I - a bald guy in a white sheet at the bottom left with a sheet of paper - it was Rafael who portrayed himself ...

I would like to believe that everyone who will be in Rome will spare no time and come personally to admire other Vatican museums. These are good impressions. I guarantee! Yes ... Even after visiting the Vatican, I realized that many museums in the world are simply poor compared to the treasures of the Papal Court. One corridor would be enough to create at least three full-fledged museums, where one could leisurely admire the sculpture and painting. And how many more floors are there in depth ... Libraries, archives, everything collected by the Jesuits over hundreds of years of intelligence and missionary work ... By the way, one of the best intelligence services in the world ... One excursion here is clearly not enough ... because the first time the task - just realize that you were here and still regularly pick up a falling jaw from the floor. For the second time already some understanding. Well, today we will look into the Papal Gardens!...

There is a state in the world, half of whose territory is occupied by gardens. If you're at a loss, the answer is quite simple - it's the Vatican.

Being the smallest state, it has a territory of 44 hectares, half of which is occupied by gardens and even a two-hectare forest.

Damn... The Vatican has everything!!! The Vatican has its own passports. There is an army. There is a prison. There is a railroad and a railway station. This seemingly not the most remarkable building is nothing more than the only station at the only railway station in the Vatican. From time to time, popes go on trips to holy places with it. Obviously, dads don't abuse the railroad. It can be seen that the rails are pretty rusty. I specifically searched for information on the frequency of use of the Vatican Railway and found only two trips in history.

There is a helipad.

There is a radio station broadcasting in 47 languages. The antenna of the radio station "Radio Vatican" ... There is television. Has its own internet domain. There is a daily newspaper. Has its own coin. There are St. Peter's Basilica and Museums...

And of course there are gardens!

It all started in the 4th century. Somehow the emperor Constantine sees - the hill is standing. It's called the Vatican. Empty stands, ugly such. And what good is the hill to disappear. Bang! Here you go... Get a church... St. Peter's! Do people need to spread Christianity? So that the priest does not run far to work, Bam! The house not far from the church was celebrated ... And this is already property! It is necessary to protect ... In the IX century. Bang!

The Vatican Hill has already been surrounded by a fence. In the form of a fortress wall ... Since 1377, all normal Popes began to live on this hill. Well, as usual, everyone remade something for themselves. To whom the chambers are too small, to whom the columns are short.

The lands of the Vatican are sacred, and therefore it is believed that everything that is planted here blooms and bears fruit. The Vatican Gardens are unique!

Thousands of outlandish plants collected from all over the world grow here. The pride of the botanical garden is three relic Chinese trees with a tricky name. In China itself, such a tree remains in a single copy. The garden is looked after by 36 gardeners, but only one of them lives on the territory. The rest, as well as another 2,500 service personnel, come to work.

In general, the Vatican gardens begin their history in the XIV century with Pope Nicolo III, when the pope returned from the Avignon captivity to Rome. In these gardens, in addition to rare plants and centuries-old trees, there are many different buildings, all kinds of towers, houses, viewing platforms, not to mention fountains. Popes had different attitudes towards gardens.

But it is believed that the real flowering of the gardens began at the moment when antique sculptures “moved” there and fountains began to beat. It happened at the moment when the Vatican became the only refuge of the pontiffs. Since then, local gardens have become a place where dads knead their old bones, exposing their wrinkled faces to a fresh breeze. The Vatican Gardens were designed by renowned artists Antonio Tempesta, Giovanni Maggi and Gianbatista Falda.

Here it is the Italian winter, like the Russian summer!

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 is still preserved; 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 do not at all look like the huge papal fountains of Rome), so that your imagination does not draw the white figures of "captive popes" under the old walls.

The mysterious gardens of the Vatican can be called because not every tourist can see their beauty up close, and not from the height of the dome of St. Peter's Cathedral. If almost anyone can get into museums, then there are certain difficulties with visiting gardens for tourists.

Firstly, for this you need to reserve a date in advance. Secondly, you can get into the gardens only as part of a group and accompanied by a guide, and it is absolutely impossible to lag behind him. Only one (rarely two) groups of tourists are allowed to enter the gardens per day. I don't even know what to say, you have to see it all.

When planning a hike in the Vatican Gardens, you should remember that a few people visit them per day, so you should plan your visit in advance, as places in groups diverge on the fly. On the site http://mv.vatican.va/3_EN/pages/MV_Home.html, you can check in advance how things are going with this or that date and immediately figure out which group to join.

The procedure for ordering tickets is not complicated in itself: first we go to the "Biglietteria online" section, where we select the "Visite guidate Singoli" option. The menu that appears can amaze you with a wealth of alternatives, but here you should not let your eyes run wide, but you should boldly press on the inscription "Giardini Vaticani". The next page will "please" the visitor with an ever-increasing price from year to year; now the ticket costs 31 euros, but the price includes not only a tour of the gardens, but also the actual visit to the Vatican Museums, which costs 15 euros, so the gardens alone cost 16 euros. It remains only to choose the desired date of visit and the number of people: this should be done in the "Selezione periodo e partecipanti" section. By specifying the month, the visitor receives a calendar, where the available dates are marked with green icons. When the choice is made, you need to enter the details of a bank card with a sufficient amount in the account, after which the business will be concocted, and its instigator will receive an order confirmation by mail. There will be both a voucher number and transaction data, as well as a PDF file - you will need to print it out and take it with you on a trip: it is on this printout that the guard who stands in front of the entrance to the building of the Vatican Museums lets visitors skip the line.

At the strictly scheduled time, we were let by a valiant guard into a strange and tasteless building. Another half an hour of organizing meetings, distribution of players, replacement of headphones, waiting for the lost ... and we find ourselves in ... construction backyards. Again the languor of the spirit. Where, finally, are these gardens, these paradises, brought to perfection by hard-working clergy during the difficult decades of voluntary seclusion? Now there was no going back...

Gardens owe their origin to the habit of many popes of Rome, so to speak, to enjoy worldly pleasures to the fullest. Instead of poring over spiritual perfection in their cell, these leaders of the flock often preferred to relax in the right company and surroundings.

The coat of arms of the Vatican is made of sheared boxwood and flowers on a lawn and is divided into two parts. The one on which the keys of St. Peter are depicted remains unchanged for many centuries, while the other changes with the popes.

Personally, my impression of the gardens was somewhat "wetted" by cloudy weather, but in general the walk turned out to be very informative, and most importantly, it made me feel like a kind of time traveler.

Let me explain this idea: following the guide along the winding path, led by him alone, we now and then moved from era to era, as the reality surrounding us changed with marvelous speed. Only here the sightseers were standing in an open area between ancient statues, and now they are already next to the wall of a medieval castle, after which in the blink of an eye they find themselves next to an elegant pavilion surrounded by fountains - neither give nor take any Versailles.

The entire territory of the Vatican Gardens is divided into: Italian, French and English gardens.

The entire French garden is magnificent, entwined with plants and roses, metal arches. Here are the unusual, ivy-covered grottoes of Lourdes. In the French Garden there is a statue of the Virgin Mary. The Italian garden is decorated with "red acacia" - a unique exotic tree that grows in Africa, Australia and Japan.

This tree has coral-red flowers that are shaped like a cockscomb. This wonderful tree blooms from April to December. The tree is remarkable in that a fabric dye is made from the flowers of the “red acacia”. The seeds are used to make jewelry. And yet, musical instruments are made from this tree. In the Italian Garden, there are many beautiful exotic trees and shrubs.

They have been brought here for many years from all over the world. Walking through the English Park in the morning, you can see how the current dad and his 94-year-old brother exercise and jog in the morning. But... you are unlikely to be able to see this spectacle, as tourists and vacationers are allowed into the English Garden only after 10 am. Columns, stones and statues are laid across the territory of the English Park in various places. Landscape design artists have tried to create an atmosphere of pristine, romantic and graceful. In the English Park there is a copy of a natural waterfall, which is called "Little Falls".

Whirlpools and thresholds add charm and opulence to this masterpiece of design art. Another magnificent fountain, near which there are always many vacationers.

This is the Eagle Fountain. The image of the eagle is, according to many, a symbol of the Roman Empire.

In general, the walk was very fruitful, and I did not regret for a second that we paid sixty euros for two tickets: it was definitely worth it. Personally, I liked the neat trellis of bushes of the Italian garden and the area where bonsai trees were planted. And, of course, the view of St. Peter's Cathedral was beautiful, opening from different places and from different angles ...

In "paradise", presumably, "paradise" birds should live. That is why African green parrots are bred in the Vatican, which freely fly from branch to branch right in front of the astonished tourists.

Unfortunately, I cannot convey in the language of literature all the beauties that met in the gardens. There is also no opportunity to go into detail about the whole tour because I was very busy, staring at the surrounding landscapes and trying to capture them as fully as possible with my camera. In addition, the guide of our group was broadcasting rather monotonously, and somewhere in the middle of the tour I simply stopped perceiving what she was saying.

But even without informational support, everything was clear: before us appeared the second, secret, hidden from prying eyes, the life of the Vatican. And to anyone who is planning a visit within this tiny state, I advise you to definitely visit the Vatican Gardens ...

Peace and serenity reign in the gardens of the Vatican. And, it would seem, this is one of the few places where nature and man live in harmony. What a pity that this is observed less and less today ... Oh, it would be nice if at the end of the tour the Pope himself gave instructions!

From the hells of the Vatican are mysterious, attractive, with centuries of history, like the state to which they belong. For centuries, the papal possessions were hidden behind a high wall, protected from prying eyes, like the private life of the pontiffs. And only recently the gardens have been opened for visits, the number of excursions is limited, and the order of their conduct is strictly regulated.

Dad collection

The gardens are spread out on the Vatican Hill, covering an area of ​​approximately 20 hectares. They were created without any plan and are a collection of several parts with different themes. There are natural areas that look like forest thickets, and man-made landscapes that include almost all the main styles and directions of gardening, which is not surprising, because gardens have been cultivated for several centuries.

At the moment, there are about seven thousand plants in the papal collection, including pines, oaks, chestnuts, cedars, cypresses, olives, palms, 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 honor any botanical garden. Convenient viewing platforms offer a beautiful view of both the gardens and the eternal city of Rome itself.

The age of the Vatican gardens is eight centuries, they are considered one of the oldest.

Garden at the Vatican Museum
french garden
Italian garden. Parterre

Creation of the garden

Pope Nicholas III (1216-1280) is considered the founder of the gardens, who arranged 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, in the Vatican landscapes, aesthetic value took precedence over practical benefits. Extensive 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. Planting water has long been supplied with the help of 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 Bibliotheca", "della Pigna" and the Belvedere courtyard. A significant contribution to the development of gardens was made by Pope Pius IV (1499-1565). He was known as a man with a light, benevolent character and a bright soul. The pontiff was not alien to the love of beauty and in 1559 he ordered to plant a garden in the Renaissance style in the northern part of the Vatican possessions. The garden owes 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) built 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 Gianbatista Falda took part in the creation of the Vatican gardens.

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

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

Gardens occupy half of the territory of the Vatican.

House of Pope Pius IV
Flower garden against 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 effect and lush Mediterranean vegetation. Container landings are actively used in its design. However, here you can meet a lot of interesting exotics. For example, "red acacia", or erythrina cockscomb, which got its name because of the coral-red flowers that can be admired for most of the year - 9 months. It was planted at the end of the 19th century and is the only survivor from the collection of exotic plants of Leo XIII.

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 ampelous 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 is created consciously 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 morning he jogs in the company of his brother.

In the upper part of the gardens, not far from the chestnut grove, there is any place for papa's walks. The path laid here is covered by a double wall protecting the pontiff from the winds.

The grottoes of Lourdes are one of the most famous decorations of the garden. The walls of the grottoes are densely 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 gardens of the Vatican are decorated with more than 90 fountains. The Eagle and the Galley are considered the most famous, their author was the Dane Jan van Santen. The symbol of the Borghese clan, to which Pope Paul V belonged, is immortalized in the image of an eagle. The Galera Fountain is a lead model of a ship firing water jets, it is believed that it illustrates the saying of Pope Urban VIII: “Papal warships spew not fire, but water that extinguishes war."

There are also long-lived trees in the gardens. These are two pines, their exact age has not been established, but it is assumed that the “old women” are at least 600 years old, or even all 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 a gift by the popes from state and public figures and organizations. Since the trees are brought from all over and adapted to different growing conditions, the Vatican gardeners have to work hard to make the gifts feel at home on Vatican soil. By the way, not only plants are given to dads, but also garden decor items, statues, gazebos, benches, etc.

There are also olive groves in the Vatican's possessions ... More precisely, not groves, but alleys. You can meet single powerful and beautiful specimens.

Squirrels, rabbits, bats and small rodents inhabit the Vatican gardens. But perhaps the most interesting of the local inhabitants are parrots. They build their nests in trees, roam the lawns, and make their surroundings loud with harsh cries.