Vatican Gardens: guided tour in Russian. Excursion to the Vatican Gardens: tickets, how to get, photos Vatican Gardens how to get

There is a state in the world, half of which is occupied by gardens. They stretch over 23 hectares in the western part of the Vatican, and are fenced in by ancient fortress walls. Giardini Vaticani is not just a park, but a complex of centuries-old trees, evergreens, statues, fountains and buildings.

Short story

The land on the site of the current gardens has existed since ancient Roman times. On the territory, fenced on three sides by the Vatican Wall, there have long been several springs. Thanks to them, this area did not have a shortage of water.

The first mention of the gardens dates back to the 13th century. It is believed that Pope Nicolo III laid them on the Vatican hill. The Vatican Gardens have preserved their original appearance in the area between the administration and the Leonine Wall (previously protecting the Vatican from attacks). Here you can see dense thickets of pines, oaks, cedars and cypresses. Other old-timers are olive trees. Some of them were planted in the Middle Ages.

Medicinal and edible plants were originally cultivated in the forest-free areas of the gardens. Over time, the gardens of the Vatican have lost their economic importance since the 15th century. began to perform a purely decorative function.

The gardens have evolved over the centuries, leaving their mark on their different areas. Almost every dad contributed something of his own... Large-scale landscape works were carried out in the 16th century. under Pope Julia II. The project was developed by renowned Italian artists. According to it, the gardens were divided into three parts.

From Pope Pius IV, fountains and waterfalls remained in the gardens. Clement XI loved rare and subtropical plants. Thanks to him, a banana tree and an oleander turned out to be nearby, which are not adjacent in nature. Medieval buildings were added to antique statues, then fountains with the coats of arms of popes came into fashion. All this was delicately incorporated into the rich and varied vegetation.

Structure and features

The Vatican Gardens are divided into themed sections - French, Italian and English. The metal arches of the French Garden are entwined with roses, yews and other plants. They are often featured in travel brochures. The dome of St. Petra inside winding green arches. There is a large green labyrinth in the French park. Here, completely ivy-covered Lourdes grottoes are a copy of the original French ones. They contain the figure of the Virgin Mary (which the future Saint Bernadette saw in this French city in the middle of the 18th century).

The real decoration of the Italian garden is the exotic “red acacia”. Its natural location is South America, Africa, Australia, Japan. From April to December, visitors can admire the coral red flowers in the shape of a rooster's comb. Besides decorativeness, wood is also utilitarian. Musical instruments are made from porous wood, jewelry is made from seeds, and fabric dye is made from flowers.

In the Italian park, beautiful azaleas grow in large round pots. Large round vessels can also be found here. In them, buried up to the neck in the ground, before the appearance of refrigerators, food was stored.

In the English Park, the natural landscape is masterfully simulated. The seemingly chaotic piles of stones, interspersed with columns and statues, are actually man-made. A small artificial waterfall and a fountain with a stone statue of a kite stand out. It was built to commemorate the laying of an aqueduct here, and is a waterfall erupting from the cliff.

Along the paths of the English Park, the current 80-year-old Pope Francis and his older brother are doing their morning exercise, and with a jog. In order not to disturb the pontiff, the first visitors are allowed here no earlier than 10 am.

A separate area of the gardens is allocated for the placement of trees and plants - gifts received by the dads. The harmonious placement of trees in different climatic zones is a difficult task. But it is successfully solved by landscape designers. And the daily care of the Vatican gardens is carried out by more than three dozen gardeners, of which only one lives on their territory.

There are many succulents in the gardens - aloe, agave, cactus. The stone wall planted by them is unusual. Palm trees are planted around the Governor's Palace. There is also an original composition of boxwood and flowers, consisting of two sections. The first one is unchanged. It depicts the keys of St. Peter - the first Pope. The second one has the individual coat of arms of the current Pope. This figure changes periodically. The statue of St. Petra is set in the geographic center of the Vatican.

A walk through the Vatican Gardens brings to mind the idea of paradise. The impression is reinforced by African green parrots acting as birds of paradise. The first parrot was presented to the Pope in the 15th century, without telling the name of the bird. The exotic birds were named papagallo - "papal rooster".

As you can see, the Vatican Gardens consist of plots of different styles. Such eclecticism, oddly enough, gives them a special appeal. It is enhanced by beautiful views from several viewing platforms located here.

There are several buildings in the gardens. Among them, the small elegant villa of Pope Pius IV, built in the 16th century, stands out. Its façade is decorated with statues and ornaments, and the interior is decorated with gilded stucco (artificial marble) and decorated with frescoes. Now it houses the papal Academy of Sciences, which studies the connection between the natural sciences and religion.

Since 1976, a helicopter station has been operating on the territory of the gardens - a helioport connecting the papal state with Roman airports. And at the highest point is the Vatican radio station.

How to get to the gardens?

The Vatican Gardens are much more difficult to visit than museums. No more than one or two tourist groups are allowed daily, always accompanied by a Vatican guide.

You should first join the emerging groups on the site in absentia. After that, you can book tickets in advance (2 months in advance) on the Vatican website. There are no separate tickets to the garden, and you need to issue uniform tickets, including visits (without a queue!) To famous museums. Cost - 32 EUR. After paying with Visa and Master Card, you will receive a confirmation by e-mail, which should be printed and taken with you on the trip.

Piazza San Pietro must be approached 20 minutes before the start of the tour... The tourist's clothing should exclude shorts and open shoulders. No need to take bulky bags with you. The booking confirmation must be shown to the security officer at the entrance to the museums, who will direct the tourist to a special ticket office, where the printout will be exchanged for an entrance ticket and provided with headphones and an audio guide. During the tour, photographs are allowed (but not of the Swiss Guards), and video filming is prohibited.

Tours last 2 hours. They are held:

from March to July from 11 a.m. daily, except Wednesday and Sunday;
in August-September from 10 on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays;
from October to February from 11 a.m. on Saturdays.

Growing tourist demand has recently prompted the Vatican administration to introduce a more convenient, alternative way of visiting. Excursions to the gardens only are conducted in eco-minibuses with a capacity of 28 people. They run daily, except Wednesdays, Sundays and holidays, every half hour from 10:00 to 13:00. During the one-hour excursion, the bus makes 12 stops without leaving the tourists. Ticket prices are 15 EUR for adults and 11 EUR for persons 6-18 years old.

You can choose from 2 options for an excursion to the Vatican Gardens:

✅group walking tour of the Vatican gardens. The duration of the excursion is 2 hours, the excursion always takes place at 08.45 in the morning once a week.

✅ride through the gardens on a panoramic electric minibus (maximum capacity 28 people). You will enjoy the beauty of the Vatican Gardens in comfort and the trip will not be tiresome at all. The price includes an audio guide (there is Russian language). The duration of the trip is 45 minutes (without the possibility of getting off the minibus). Children under 6 years old are not allowed on the minibus tour.

Departure: 8:15, 9:15, 9:45, 10:15, 12:15, 12:45 pm. The excursion takes place every day during the working days of the museums. After driving through the gardens, you will head to excursion to the Vatican Museums and St. Peter's Cathedral ... You can read more about how the excursion will take place.

Excursion to the Vatican gardens with visits to museums. Cost and conditions

Guided tour of the Vatican Museums and St. Peter's Basilica licensed guide of the Vatican and the Holy See. The tour takes place in Russian
Group walking tour 2 hours / 33 euro adult, 24 euro child, or excursion by mini-bus 45 minutes / 37 euros for an adult, 23 euros for children + private excursion to the Vatican Museums and St. Peter's Basilica 3 hours / 170 euros, 4 hours / 210 euros
The minibus tour runs every working day of the Vatican Museums (excluding holidays and weekends), and the group walking tour runs once a week on Saturdays
Note: visiting the Vatican gardens, museums and St. Peter's Basilica requires adherence to the dress code (shoulders must be covered, pants or skirts below the knee). It is also forbidden to use selfie sticks
If you are visiting the Vatican Museums with children who are 6-7 years old and 16-18 years old, do not forget to take the document certifying the age of the child
Check out visits to the Vatican Museums and St. Peter's Basilica

The Vatican Gardens is a huge park area in the state, occupying more than half of it, and this is neither more nor less - more than 20 hectares. They are located in the west of the state.

Mostly the gardens cover the Vatican Hill. The territory of the gardens is limited by the Vatican walls. The territory has many springs, fountains, luxurious subtropical vegetation.

The most luxurious lawns in the Vatican Gardens are located in front of St. Perth's Cathedral and the Vatican Museums. They were created during the Renaissance and Baroque times.

In addition to manicured gardens, there are also natural areas. The most interesting one is located between the Vatican administration building and the Leonin wall. There are simply thickets of various 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 already under Pius 4 in 1558. However, back in 1288, here, by order of Nicholas 4, his personal physician was growing medicinal plants. Of course, nothing has remained of them for a long time, but there are several long-lived pines, whose age is 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 a preliminary registration 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 for 28 people. The ride lasts an hour, during which time the audio guide tells the story in English, German, Spanish, French or Italian.

These tourist buses run in the morning from 8.00 to 14.00 every day, except Sundays and holidays. They leave every half hour.

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, cover mainly the Vatican Hill, which rises over 60 meters above the surrounding area. From the north, south and west, the Gardens are bounded by the Vatican Wall. On the territory of the Gardens there are several spring springs, which in the Middle Ages, when needed, supplied the Vatican with water, as well as fed the subtropical vegetation that still grows here.

Vatican Gardens:

Most of the Gardens are laid out and well-groomed by man; extensive lawns are located primarily in the flat areas in front of St. Peter's Basilica and the Vatican Museums. Most of them were created at the direction of the popes back in the Renaissance and Baroque. The best preserved, "natural" part of the Vatican Gardens is the area between the Leonine Wall and the building where the Vatican administration 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 State with Rome's Fiumicino and Ciampino International Airports.

Plants of three hundred species thrive in the gardens of the Vatican, only 6,500 specimens, a lot of evergreens, these are cedars, pines, cypresses, box trees, palms, olives, magnolias, ivy and many others. They form the backbone of gardens and keep them green all year round. I must say that a team of professional gardeners works here, who keep everything in perfect condition. The gardens are full of emerald lawns, bright flowers, clipped greenery.

Pinakothek and Casina (Villa-cottage Pia IV)

Buildings in the Vatican Gardens:

For the first time, the 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, as well as vegetables and fruits were grown here. During the late Middle Ages, gardens are gradually losing 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, according to his instructions, a decorative park in the style of the Renaissance was laid out in the northern part of the gardens, in the center of which a Mannerist casino building was erected. 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 water supply 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 is increasingly used for botanical purposes. So, Pope Clement XI plants rare species of subtropical plants here. Since 1850, much of the Gardens have been modeled after English park art. In 1888, Pope Leo XIII opened the Vatican Zoo here.

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

The cat and the fox in the Vatican Gardens:

The authorities of the Vatican city-state announced a hunt for foxes that threaten local cats and other representatives of the fauna. The foxes managed to get into the protected territory 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 hunting announcement due to foxes attacking the birds and cats that live here.

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

Magnolias and cypresses, pines and cedars also grow in the Vatican. Palms planted near the governor's palace - exotic guests from the banks of the Nile - delight the eye. Especially a lot of ivy and boxwood. On the basis of the latter (that is, boxwood) and some other flowering plants in front of the same governor's palace, an interesting composition was created - the coat of arms of the pope. Moreover, the composition consists of two parts: the first (not changeable) depicts the keys of St. Peter, and the second (changeable) - the coat of arms of the pope who currently rules. 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.

St. Peter's Monument:

French Garden 1:

French Garden 2:

Italian, Renaissance garden:

Italian, Renaissance - clear geometric shapes, no colors:

In the Vatican Gardens:

"Greek ruins":

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

Grotto:

Lourdes grottoes, densely entwined with ivy:

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

Moss-covered age-old steps and mysterious grottoes:

In the Vatican Gardens:

A separate part of the Vatican is set aside for a garden, where trees are planted in a certain order, each presented at one time to one or another pope. A whole group of experienced landscape designers are working on the design of this garden, who figure out where to place the plants. And this is a difficult task, since 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, the landscape painters still manage to cope with the task.

In the Vatican Gardens:

The gardens are carefully looked after by specially trained people:

In the Vatican Gardens:

The Vatican gardens are replete with a huge number of statues created in different eras and in different styles. Among them are antique works of art and works of contemporary sculptors.

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

In the Vatican Gardens:

"Red acacia", or erythrine cockscomb:

In the Italian Garden, you can admire a unique tree - "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 plant was named because of its coral-red flowers, which are shaped like a rooster's comb. "Red acacia" blooms for 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 light and porous wood, from which musical instruments, children's toys, and so on are made. A dye for fabrics and wool is obtained from flowers, and jewelry is made from seeds.

Casina - villa-cottage Pia IV:

In the Vatican Gardens:

Even a whole wall is planted with cacti:

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

Here, each plant has a plate with a description:

Another corner of man-made wildlife:

In the Vatican Gardens:

Palm Burst:

In the Vatican Gardens:

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 all over the world the Vatican gardens are called "paradise booths." Moreover, the gardens and parks are beautiful at any time of the year! And dozens of gardeners, constantly caring for them, bring the beauty to almost perfection. In the "paradise", presumably, the "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 amazed tourists.

Parrot nests. A parrot:

Parrots, for example, make themselves at home in the Vatican and, Becci says, form entire colonies. "We are talking about parrots that managed to escape from the cage, and they find refuge behind the Vatican 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 extraordinary albino thrush settled near the Lourdes grotto, to which the official newspaper "Osservatore Romano" devoted a long article.

Ceramic benches - a gift from the Amalfi Coast:

One cannot indifferently walk past the ceramic benches, a gift from the Amalfi Coast, which complement 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 oak trees, Pius IX sometimes rode by on his white mule:

Column basement 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's Pinacoteca.

Relief on the base of the column by 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 by Antoninus Pius:

Front side of the base of the column by Antoninus Pius:

Front side

An idealized youth reclining on the ground, straightening his waist and leaning on his right elbow, with his left hand, the youth embraced the obelisk. According to Visconti, the figure of the 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 Antoninus' burning and which was crowned on top with a ball, as the same Pliny reports. As if emerging from the womb of a lying young man, an idealized young man with outstretched legs soars up to the right. On his raised left hand, he holds a celestial sphere entwined with a snake, the tip of the tail of which (ancient) hangs over the hand; it is a symbol of eternity or the constellation of the Dragon, next to which one can also see not so much realistically 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, sloping in the direction of flight, the seated figures of Antoninus Pius and Faustina on the wings of the Genius of Death are visible. Next to them, above the wings of the Genius, two accompanying eagles fly, symbols of deification. On the right, Roma is looking at the ascendants, raising his right hand as a sign of greeting or worship.

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

Left and right sides

On both sides it is depicted the same thing: seventeen horsemen galloping in a vicious circle around two groups of foot soldiers, five men each, moving vigorously towards each other, but this is not an attack. Vignoli already considered this a military maneuver.

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

Buildings in the Vatican Gardens

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
* Vatican Radio Directorate
* Vatican Station
* Vatican Court of Justice
* Casina (Villa Pius IV is a small villa-cottage, 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:

The papal coat of arms in front of the Governor's Palace:

Casina - villa-cottage Pia IV:

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

Vatican Train Station:

Vatican Observatory:

Vatican Observatory - Specola Vaticana is a research institute directly subordinate to the Pope. The Vatican Observatory is one of the oldest in Europe. Since the XVI century. it was located on the territory of the modern Vatican in the so-called. "Tower of the winds". In the end. XIX - early. XX century 2 towers of defensive fortifications were also allocated for the observatory, in which additional equipment was placed. In 1939 the observatory was moved to the country summer residence of Pope Castel Gandolfo. Since 1993, a branch of the Vatican Observatory has also been operating in the United States (Tucson, Arizona), where the periodical "Vatican Observatory Publications" is published. The official publication of the Vatican Observatory is the Annual Report magazine.

Tower of Winds:

Tower and part of the fortress wall:

Leonine wall and fortress tower:

The Leonine Wall surrounds the Roman Borgo district and much of the Vatican 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 border of the Vatican. The wall was erected in the middle of the 9th century, when the Vatican was still outside the fortress defenses of Rome, at the direction of Pope Leo IV (790-855) to protect against the attacks of the Muslim Arabs who came by sea. The residential area inside the Leonin wall eventually became known as Leograd (the city of Leo, lat.Civitas Leonina).

Teutonic cemetery:

Teutonic cemetery. 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 was originally used for the burial of 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 trains missionaries for the African continent.

This beautiful porch is the entrance to the Ethiopian College:

Pontifical Academy of Natural Sciences:

The Pontifical Academy is housed in the casina - an elegant villa built in 1561 - the summer residence of Pope Pius IV (1559-1565). The Academy is the independent legal entity of the Papal Curia. Funded by the Vatican and sponsors. The Pontifical Academy of Sciences (Italian: Pontificia Accademia delle Scienze) - was founded in 1936 by the Roman Catholic Church as the reformed Academy dei Lincei. The purpose of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences is to research the mathematical, physical and natural sciences and related theological questions. The history of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences dates back to the Accademia dei Linchei, founded in Rome in 1603 by the Roman prince Federico Cesi. Chesi wanted his academics to create a research method based on observation and experiment. He called the academy “Accademia dei Lincei” (Academy of the lynx-eyed), because the scientists who worked in it had to have eyes as sharp as the lynx 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. There are many famous scientists among the members of the Academy, many of whom are Nobel Prize winners. Moreover, many of them became members of the Academy even before they received the Nobel Prize. The most famous of them are:
* 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: