Giardini Vaticani (Vatican Gardens)

Giardini Vaticani (Vatican Gardens) Review

Extending over the hill behind St. Peter's Basilica is Vatican City's enclave of neatly trimmed lawns and flower beds, which are dotted with some interesting constructions and other, duller ones that serve as office buildings. The Vatican Gardens occupy almost 40 acres of land on the Vatican hill, behind St. Peter's Basilica. The mandatory tour begins in front of the Centro Servizi on Piazza San Pietro. It takes about two hours and includes a visit to the little-used Vatican railroad station, which now houses a museum of coins and stamps made in the Vatican, and the Torre di San Giovanni (Tower of St. John), restored by Pope John XXIII as a place where he could retreat to work in peace, and now used as a residence for distinguished guests. The tower is at the top of the hill, which you explore on foot. The plantings include a formal Italian garden, a flowering French garden, a romantic English landscape, and a small forest. Wear good walking shoes and observe the Vatican dress code. Call for a reservation (which is required) two or three days in advance.