Should you be considering a trip to the Vatican soon, you won’t want to leave without visiting the Vatican Gardens. This beautiful part of the city/state has lots of natural attractions that help to tell the story of the Roman Catholic history, and you can also find plenty of places to lodge near the Vatican Gardens as well.
Pictures of the Vatican Gardens
The Vatican Gardens was established as far back as 1279; Nicholas III moved his place of residence back to the Vatican from Lateran Palace during this time, and he planted an orchard at his new home, as well as a garden and lawn pratellum. These were the first gardens to be planted in the Vatican, which you can read more about when you visit the Palazzetoo del Belvedere, another one of the great attractions in the area. You will find more information on Nicholas III and the beautiful flowers that are planted in the Vatican Gardens when you read the stone plaques that are placed around the area; you can visit the Sala dei Capitani, which is in Rome’s Capitoline Hill for more historic information on the Vatican Gardens and the impact they have had on the church’s history.
Vatican Gardens Tours
Another great feature of the Vatican Gardens is the L’Eliporto, which is along the Ilex Avenue that leads to a French Garden display. Right beyond this garden is a heliport that was built under the supervision of Pope Paul VI, also known as Giovanni Battista Montine. Currently Roman pontiffs use this as part of the pathway to their various pastoral journeys. When you visit the L’Eliporto, you will see the bronze statue of the Black Madonna of Czestochowa; the statue was built to protect the Vatican Gardens, as Madonna is a very important figure in the Roman Catholic Church. Along with unique French flowers and plants, there are paths lined with beautiful red rocks and terracotta pots that are decorated with the papal Coat of Arms. There is also a water cistern on the grounds that transports water to all the plants in the garden; rare trees in the area include the Australian silk oak and the dawn redwood, which shade visitors while walking through the garden.
After you visit the Vatican Gardens, you’ll definitely want to take in all the other great sites that the Vatican has to offer. You can visit chapels painted by famous artists like Raphael and Michaelangelo, as well as museums that will give you more information about the fall of the Roman Empire and the quest of the church to bring Christianity to the entire world through missionary work.
