Vatican offers its gardens to tourists and pilgrims
Baku, September 16 (AZERTAC). For centuries now, the Vatican Gardens have been the place where Popes would go to find a moment of tranquility away from Church government duties and the crowds at St. Peter`s Basilica. The Gardens are a green oasis in the heart of Rome, hidden behind the imposing Leonine Walls, which conceal century old trees and exotic plants, artificial caves, historic buildings and no less than 100 fountains.
Leo XIII, for example, preferred to sit in front of his cottage on the hill while the Genoan, Benedict XV always liked to stop before the Madonna della Guardia shrine. Pius XII went for strolls in the Gardens daily, come rain or shine, while John XXIII preferred to sit there with his secretary, in a Chinese pavilion.
The water that bubbles from the fountains and the shade of old century old pines, make it the perfect place for escaping the Roman summer heat.
Inside the Gardens, is a jewel of Renaissance architecture, the Casina of Pius IV, Built by Pirro Ligorio, a landscape architect and hydraulics engineer, who also built the famous Villa d’Este in Tivoli, near Rome. Today, it houses the Pontifical Academy of Sciences.
The Gardens occupy a third of the forty four hectares of land that makes up the Vatican State. A team of over thirty staff and specialists work around the clock to look after this enormous garden.
The Gardens also contain a number of plants that are rare for our latitudes, such as the “Ceibo” tree, also known as the coral tree because of its scarlet red flowers, found in some South American countries. There are also some big “Sequoia” trees and King Sago palms, native to southern Japan.
In the early Nineteenth century, there was even a small zoo in the Garden and today there are many animals, including woodpeckers, hoopoes and brightly colored and lively parrots and parakeets which cheer visitors with their song. Towards the end of the Nineteenth century, Leo XIII asked for fallow deer, gazelles and roe deer to be brought from Africa, to the Gardens where they could run free. One day a gazelle threw itself onto Leo XIII. The Pope who was not at all frightened by this calmed the people who were with him saying: “How can a lion be afraid of a gazelle?!”
Until today, visitors were only able to access the Gardens by booking beforehand. But as of last summer, thanks to the collaboration of the Governor of the Vatican City, the body that manages the world`s smallest State and the Opera Romana Pellegrinaggi, the “green heart” of the Vatican is open to tourists and pilgrims who can access it on board methane powered, open top mini buses, each of which has 28 seats. The buses have a low environmental impact and are equipped with a GPS navigation system.
The tour itinerary allows visitors to take in panoramic views of the dome on St. Peter`s Basilica and includes a short stop at the faithful copy of the Lourdes Shrine, given to Pope Leo XIII by the Bishop of Tarbes, where the original Marian shrine stands, in 1902.
The route, which also includes stops at the Governor`s Palace, the Vatican Radio’s headquarters and the Vatican Railway Station and the heliport, is also offers an opportunity to see the functions and structure of the Vatican City State.
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