Has anyone been to the vatican gardens recently? We are considering it as part of 7 days in Rome, booking through the vatican web-site, but wonder if it is interesting, especially as two of our number are teenagers!

The Vatican Gardens tour is mildly interesting (but I'm not a gardener). You get a different view of everything including the buildings and quite a bit of Rome from above (they drove us up the highest hill and we walked down from there.)

What I found more interesting were the various small buildings and chapels in the grounds. Out guide didn't seem to know - or say - much about them.

And we found fortuitously the 4th century chapel in which Charlemagne crowned himself Holy Roman Emperor - by wresting the crown fron the hands of the Pope and putting it on his own head - thus technically not subjugating himself to the Pope's control.

We only noticed it because there was a wedding taking place there - and are as nosy as anyone else. It turned out to be a Roman Principessa being married to some minor German dukeling. The guide said personal permission of the Pope's Secretary of State is required to be able to use it.

Thanks, nytraveller. Did you see any other gardens in Rome that were more worthwhile?
I am limited by having two teens with me for whom gardens are not the top of the agenda so I want to save my time for the best. Thinking of the villa d'este any orta botanica. Anyone know of any others?

Sorry - I'm a history person - not a garden one - going to this wasn't my idea but one of our compromises. So I haven;t seen any others in Rome. Do know it's not like London where there are gardens/parks everywhere.

I love St Peter's and the Vatican, but I don't think teenagers would go for the Gardens that much. They'd probably rather climb the dome.
Alan