Across the Vatican Gardens, you will come across dozens of shrine monuments based on venerated images of the Virgin Mary from countries all around the world across Europe, the Americas and Asia.
The Vatican has gradually amassed this collection since the turn of the 20th century with the oldest shrine based on the venerated image of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception from Lourdes, France and the newest shrine based on Our Lady of the Rosary from Chiquinquirá, Colombia.
Although the Virgin Mary shrines in the Vatican Gardens only date back to the early 20th century, the venerated images they’re based on are much older. For example, one monument is based on the Black Madonna of Częstochowa, which dates back to 1382 and is housed in Jasna Góra, Poland.
The Vatican Gardens have served as the pope’s private gardens since the late 13th century when Pope Nicholas III moved his residence back to the Vatican from the Lateran Palace. Since its relative humble beginnings as an orchard, lawn and garden, it has expanded through the centuries to include numerous statues, fountains and gardens inspired by English, French and Italian Renaissance landscape architecture.
Although there have been vineyards and orchards in this area since medieval times, the Vatican Gardens were first enclosed in 1279 when Pope Nicolas III returned to the Vatican to make it the official papal residence. In the early 16th century, Pope Julius II was involved in a major re-design of the Vatican Gardens when he employed the expertise of Donato Bramante, leading to the creation of the Vatican’s two best-known courtyards — the Belvedere and Pinecone Courtyards.
Besides composing nearly half of all the Vatican city-state and being founded with the same soil that Jesus Christ once walked on, this is also a UNESCO World Heritage site that has been open to the public for less than a decade. Entry to the Vatican Gardens is limited and only possible as part of a guided tour, so it provides a pleasant escape from the crowds in St. Peter’s Square and the rest of the Vatican.
In the geological center of Vatican City, you’ll find a monument dedicated to Saint Peter. When viewed from the west, St. Peter’s Basilica provides an appropriate backdrop to this monument of the first pope. Whether on a bus tour or walking tour, you’ll be able to appreciate this monument from all sides and get a less common snapshot of St. Peter’s Basilica with the gardens in the foreground.
In front of the Palace of the Governorate, you’ll find a meticulously arranged flower bed representing the Papal Coat of Arms. Each time a new pope is elected, the papal gardeners must plant a new collection of decorative plants to match the current papal coat of arms. Today, there are thousands of yellow-green Euonymus Pulchellus, red begonias and bluemink flowers in the form of Pope Francis’s crest.
First planted in the 16th century during the Italian Renaissance, this section of the gardens includes a labyrinth and a rose garden. Among the shaded paths, you can appreciate the geometric layout of the shrubs punctuated by several fountains. If you look into the distance from the rose garden, you can see the delicate hills of the Castelli Romani before making your way to the French and English style gardens.
Located on the highest point of the Vatican Gardens, this is a replica of the grotto constructed in the small town of Lourdes, France after a young girl was reported to have seen the Virgin Mary in 1858. As the most important and most impressive of all the Virgin Mary shrines, every year in May, pilgrims walk through the gardens in a candelit procession to the Lourdes Grotto in honor of the Virgin Mary.
In the geological center of Vatican City, you’ll find a monument dedicated to Saint Peter. When viewed from the west, St. Peter’s Basilica provides an appropriate backdrop to this monument of the first pope. Whether on a bus tour or walking tour, you’ll be able to appreciate this monument from all sides and get a less common snapshot of St. Peter’s Basilica with the gardens in the foreground.
Also called the Galea Fountain, or the Fontana della Galera, this fountain is one of the least-known, but most impressive fountains in all of Rome. The centerpiece of the fountain is an intricately-detailed replica of a warship of the papal fleet. The lead miniature of the galleon has all the features of a real warship with sails, mast, rigging and even dozens of cannons — in this case, shooting forth water instead of cannonballs.
300 + reviews
On this Vatican combo tour you will start by visiting the Vatican Gardens by minibus with the help of an audio guide. After 45 minutes of exploring exquisite flowerbeds, fortifications, grottoes and idyllic fountains, you will head to the Vatican Museums where you can gawk at incredible Renaissance masterpieces, including Michelangelo’s frescoes in the Sistine Chapel.
Best price:
€46
70+ reviews
Explore the many sculptures, fountains and beautiful greenery that lie in the heart of the Vatican state on a minibus tour with the help of an audio guide. You will then be transported to Castel Sant'Angelo, on the right bank of the Tiber river, to explore seven floors worth of mesmerizing murals and antiques, while appreciating the building itself — a marvel dating back to the 1st century.
Best price:
€75
50+ reviews
Enjoy exploring the Vatican Gardens with your small group of family and friends on a walking tour. You will have the company of a knowledgeable tour guide who will lead you through the gardens and then on to discover the frescoes in the Sistine Chapel as well as the Pietà in St. Peter’s Basilica, making this a very comprehensive Vatican tour.
Best price (varies by group size):
€190