One of the main attractions of the most geographically small state in the world is the Vatican Gardens. It is estimated that this unique botanical complex occupies a little more than half of the entire territory of the Vatican City - about 20 hectares. They are located on the hillsides west of the Vatican Palace.
The Vatican Gardens are not just thickets of trees and shrubs, they are entire architectural and landscape complexes with palaces, turrets, fountains. All architectural elements harmoniously fit into the stunning beauty of green lawns and squares.
History of occurrence
The history of the Vatican Gardens dates back to ancient times. The first mention of him as a holy place is found in the chronicles of Ancient Rome, when Roman foretellers (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, dwellings of priests began to appear around her.
According to legend, the first garden of the Vatican was broken 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 dad added something of his own to the design of the gardens, until through the centuries the Vatican Gardens became the pinnacle of landscape art.
The device of green paradise
Due to the fact that the landscape of the Vatican Gardens was created without any plan and scheme, and each next dad tried to expand and improve their design, an unusually beautiful place for relaxation and thought appeared.
All parts of the garden differ among themselves, even with a great desire to find similar ones, it will not be possible to find. There is only one similarity: thanks to the tireless work of 30 gardeners, all the plants in the garden look well-groomed. The Vatican Gardens are based on evergreen trees: cedars, pines, boxwood, olives, because of which the riot of greenery continues throughout the year.
In this part of Italy, a mild subtropical climate prevails, so even capricious exotic plants grow well here. A collection of cacti collected from around the world will leave an unforgettable impression.
From the outside world, gardens are fenced with high walls erected during the Renaissance. Previously, they served to protect against attacks, but now they are more likely to perform a decorative function. Partially they collapsed, and the remains of stone walls, densely overgrown with ivy and other climbing plants, do not seem intimidating at all.
In order for the water supply to the gardens to be uninterrupted even in the drier summer months, an aqueduct was built in the 17th century, through which water flows from a lake forty kilometers away.
French gardens
One of the hallmarks of this well-kept landscape park are French gardens. They are decorated with numerous green arches entwined with winding roses and yew trees. Many travel booklets have an image of the dome of St. Peter's Cathedral among the flowering arches. Another highlight of French gardens is the large green labyrinth, the smooth walls of which consist of carefully trimmed evergreen shrubs.
You can also admire the famous Lourdes grottoes, whose stone walls are densely overgrown with thick ivy. These grottoes are an exact copy of the original, located in France. Among the thickets of dark green ivy you can see a statue of the Virgin Mary, depicted as a teenage girl.
In general, in 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 red acacia is more than nine months (from April to December), so guests of the gardens can long admire their unusual beauty.
Ceramic vessels with blooming azaleas are located throughout the Italian park. Many are installed directly on the ground, some are located on special decorative stands.
And while strolling through the Italian part of the Vatican Gardens, you can see one of the options for an ancient refrigerator - large ceramic vessels with a tight-fitting lid. Our ancestors dug such pots into the ground up to the neck, and the products were stored in them even in the hot season.
English park
When visiting the English Park, it seems that this is a piece of wild untouched nature that was not touched by the hands of designers. In fact, the opposite is true, the location of each tree and each supposedly randomly lying stone was carefully thought out by talented gardeners. Therefore, it is not surprising that it was the English park that the current pope chose for the morning jogs.
On the territory of the English Park there are many statues, columns and decorative stones. Sometimes it seems that part of the column fell from antiquity - in fact, this is a verified design move. And it seems that the natural heaps of rapids and whirlpools of the fountain "Little Waterfall" were created by the hands of hardworking ministers.
How to get to the Vatican Gardens
In contrast to the absolutely free tour of the Vatican Museums, visiting the gardens in the residence of the pope is strictly regulated. For tourist groups, they are open on all days except Wednesday, Sunday and holidays.
Usually there is only one excursion per day for a limited group of guests, and rarely there are two excursions. Therefore, it is better for those who wish to register in advance, at least two months in advance. You can do this on the Vatican's official portal by selecting the time and date of the visit. Then you need to pay a complex ticket. Buying a single ticket also gives you the opportunity to go to all museums of the state in the state without waiting in line. You can take advantage of this 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 the fact 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 inspecting them.
They do not recommend coming on an excursion to the Vatican Gardens in overly open clothing (shorts and T-shirts with bare shoulders are forbidden). Also, you can not take overall things with you, even a camera tripod may be asked to leave at the entrance. Before the start of the visit, the polite guards from the papal 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, to leave the garden paths, to touch or pluck any plants. You can’t still shoot video, although you can take pictures of everything. It’s better to charge the camera well and take a spare memory card with you, you will want to capture everything you see.
How are excursions
It seems that two hours allotted to visit the Vatican Gardens of the Vatican will not be enough to explore the vast 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 walking in the garden, you can visit the church of Santo Stefano del Abessini, the Palazzo San Carlo, the House of Archpastors, the Gallinaro tower, the Governor's Palace and many more architectural and landscape treasures of the Vatican.
A few years ago, in connection with 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 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 see the picturesque landscape. However, you cannot get off the bus during the tour, even during stops.
The well-kept gardens and parks of the Vatican are beautiful at any time of the year, they always reign in peace and tranquility ...