The Vatican Gardens (Latin: Horti Civitatis Vaticanae; Italian: Giardini Vaticani) are exclusively beautiful private gardens and parks from the 16th-century in the Vatican City State, located within the territory of Rome. The gardens cover more than half of the country, are owned by the Pope, and are considered the smallest government globally.

Their territory is 23 hectares (57 acres), with the highest point of 60 meters (200 ft) on Vatican Hill. You need to plan your visit since it is possible only by reservation. The gardens are considered the Pope’s private playground, which you can visit by taking the two-hour foot-and-bus tour.

The Vatican Gardens are surrounded by stone walls in the North, South and West

They were established during the Renaissance and Baroque eras, and there are different fountains and sculptures on the territory of gardens. However, there is no access to the public except special group tours provided by the Vatican. Moreover, there are 16 Marian images revered worldwide at the designation of the Roman Pontiff or the Pope – the owner of the gardens. Besides greenery, sculptures, and fountains, there is the Governor’s Palace and the Radio of the Vatican on the territory of the gardens. You can see the gardens when you climb up the dome of St Peter’s Basilica, from the highest point of Rome.

History

According to the Pious tradition, the site of the Vatican Gardens was spread with sacred soil taken from Mount Calvary by Saint Helena, the mother of Emperor Constantine. By this sign, she wanted symbolically unite the blood of Jesus Christ with that shed by early Christians, who died because of the persecutions of Emperor Nero. The Gardens of the Vatican date back to medieval times when vineyards and orchards were prolonged to the north of the Papal Apostolic Palace.

In 1279, Pope Nicholas III decided to move his residence back to the Vatican from the Lateran Palace, so the area became enclosed by walls

However, at the beginning of the 16th century, during the pontificate of Pope Julius II, the gardens were reconstructed. Donato Bramante’s project considered splitting gardens into three new courtyards: the Cortili del Belvedere, the “della Biblioteca,” and the “della Pigna” (Pine Cone) in the Renaissance style.

Moreover, a rectangular Labyrinth set in boxwood and decorated with Italian stone pines and cedars of Lebanon was added to the design of the gardens. Today, the Vatican Gardens contain many medieval buildings and monuments from the 9th century to the present day, including flowers and greenery. Moreover, the gardens’ most notable feature is an artificial grotto dedicated to Our Lady of Lourdes (Grotta di Lourdes), which is a replica of the Lourdes Grotto located in France, and an olive tree donated by the government of Israel.

Private Tours

The Vatican offers tours to its gardens, where most are in English and take place in the morning. Usually, the tour time is between 8:30 am, and 9:30 am.

• Info about the Guided tour of the Vatican Gardens for individuals and groups: www.museivaticani.va
• Book a tour: www.biglietteriamusei.vatican.va
• Full ticket: 33 euro
• Reduced ticket: 24 euro
• Tour days: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday
• Duration: 2 hours
• Type of tour: bus tour
• Languages: Italian, English, German, French, Spanish. Other languages are available upon written request at: tours.musei@scv.va
• Note: the guided tour is not available for wheelchair users and is not recommended for visitors with limited mobility because of the type of standard route
• Tel.: +39 06 69883145; +39 06 69884676

Interesting Facts

1. The House of the Gardener, located on the territory of the Vatican Gardens, is the most miniature building in the Vatican.
2. At the end of the guided tour of the Vatican Gardens, visitors have open access to the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel.
3. The Radio of the Vatican, located on the territory of the Vatican Gardens, broadcasted in 45 languages all around the world and was created by Marconi in 1931.
4. The Vatican City with its Gardens is recognized as a unique UNESCO World Heritage Site since it is the only site encompassing a whole country.
5. The present structure of the gardens is attributed to Pope Julius II, but further works were carried out under the Popes Clemens VII and Paul III. They designed the “secret garden” within the Vatican Gardens.
6. Pope Paul IV commissioned the construction of a small palace surrounded by lush vegetation. It is known as “Casina di Pio IV” (The little house of Pio IV) and is home to the Pontifical Academy of Sciences.
7. Another garden with radiating pathways is in front of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences and is bordered by geometrical hedges. It is known as “Giardino dei Semplici” and is used for the growing of medicinal herbs.
8. Water to the fountains inside the Vatican Gardens comes from the Trajan Aqueduct from Bracciano Lake, which was renovated in the 1600s by Pope Paul IV.
9. Throughout history, different animals lived in the gardens, such as goats, deers, and gazelle.
10. The Vatican Gardens are very well seen from the dome of St Peter’s Basilica.

Have you ever been inside the Vatican Gardens? Tell us about your experience in the comments.

Watch our vlog about the Eternal City and private tour to St Peter’s Basilica, Square, and instructions on how to climb up the dome! You can book this tour here. Discover a breathtaking view of the gardens from the dome of the basilica in our video: