 | You can helpexpand this article with text translated fromthe corresponding article in Italian. (October 2016)Click [show] for important translation instructions.
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| You can helpexpand this article with text translated fromthe corresponding article in German. (October 2016)Click [show] for important translation instructions.
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| Gardens of Vatican City | |
|---|---|
 The Vatican Gardens | |
 | |
| Type | Botanical |
| Location |  Vatican City |
| Coordinates | 41°54.2′N12°27.2′E / 41.9033°N 12.4533°E /41.9033; 12.4533 |
| Area | 23 hectares (57 acres) |
| Owned by | The Pope as Bishop of Rome |
| Status | Active |
TheGardens of Vatican City (Latin:Horti Civitatis Vaticanae), also informally known as theVatican Gardens (Italian:Giardini Vaticani) inVatican City, are private urban gardens andparks which cover more than half of the country, located in the west of the territory and owned by the Pope. There are some buildings, such asVatican Radio and theGovernor's Palace, within the gardens.
The gardens cover approximately 23 hectares (57 acres), about half of the city. The highest point is 60 metres (197 ft)above mean sea level. Stone walls bound the area in the North, South, and West. The gardens and parks were established during theRenaissance andBaroque era and are decorated with fountains and sculptures.
Pope Francis opened the Vatican Gardens to the public in 2014.[1] Individuals and pre-formed groups, considered to consist of sixteen or more people, may visit the Gardens with the presence of a tour guide.[2] The gardens also enshrine eighteenMarian images venerated worldwide at the designation of the Pope, who is the owner of the gardens.
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Pious tradition claim that the foundation site of the Vatican Gardens was spread with sacred soil brought fromMount Calvary by EmpressHelena of Constantinople[3][4] to symbolically unite the blood ofJesus Christ with that shed by thousands ofearly Christians, who died in the persecutions ofEmperor Nero Caesar Augustus.[3]
The gardens date back to medieval times when orchards and vineyards extended to the north of the PapalApostolic Palace.[5] In 1279,Pope Nicholas III (Giovanni Gaetano Orsini, 1277–1280) moved his residence back to the Vatican from theLateran Palace and enclosed this area with walls.[6] He planted an orchard(pomerium), a lawn(pratellum), and a garden(viridarium).[6] Firstly, they appeared near the hills of Sant'Egidio where today the Palazzetto del Belvedere and the Courtyards of the Vatican Museums are located.
The site received a major re-landscaping at the beginning of the 16th century,[5] during the pontificate ofPope Julius II.[7]Donato Bramante's original design was then split into three new courtyards,[7] theCortili del Belvedere, the"della Biblioteca" and the"della Pigna" (orPine Cone)[5][7] in theRenaissancelandscape design style.[8] Also inRenaissance style, a great rectangularLabyrinth, formal in design, set inboxwood and framed withItalian stone pines,(Pinus pinea) andcedars of Lebanon,(Cedrus libani).[3] In place of Nicholas III's enclosure, Bramante built a great rectilineardefensive wall.[7]
In 1921, a fire broke out inside the sanctuary of theBasilica of Loreto and destroyed a statue of the Virgin Mary, known as Our Lady of Loreto. The statue was commissioned byPope Pius XI in 1922. It was carved from cedars of Lebanon from the Vatican Gardens. The sculpture, designed by Enrico Quattrini and painted by Leopoldo Celani, is still one of the most venerated today in the Basilica ofLoreto, in theMarche region.
Since the end of 2014, theVatican Museums and the Directorate of Technical Services of the Governorate of Vatican City State have been running the project of restoration and conservation[9] of various stone artifacts in the gardens. The goal of the project has been to prevent the deterioration of the objects of art-historical interest.
In October 2017 the professionals involved in the restoration conducted a study to consider, from a scientific point of view, modern methods and eco-sustainable techniques in application to the conservation of the artifacts over time. After a careful study, they opted for non-toxic and environmentally friendly products, such asoregano (Origanum vulgare) andthyme (Thymus vulgaris), along with other plant protection products used individually or combined.[10]
Today's Vatican Gardens are spread over nearly 23 hectares (57 acres), they contain a variety ofmedieval fortifications, buildings and monuments from the 9th century to the present day, set among vibrant flower beds and topiary, green lawns and a 3 hectares (7 acres) patch of forest. There are a variety of fountains cooling the gardens, sculptures, an artificialgrotto devoted toOur Lady of Lourdes, and anOlive tree donated by thegovernment of Israel.[11]
Both the Vatican and Castel Gandalfo gardens became open to the general public in 2014.[12]
In 2019, Rafael Tornini, head of the Garden and Environment Service of theVatican, announced the gardens had been transitioning toorganic lawn management since 2017.[13]
Pope Pius XI designatedSaint Therese of Lisieux,France as the officialPatroness of the gardens on 17 May 1927, according to her the title as "Sacred Keeper of the Gardens" and within the same year, a small chapel dedicated to her was built within the gardens near the Leonine walls.
The following are venerated images of theBlessed Virgin Mary, whom are expressedly designated via Pontifical decree to be enshrined at the Vatican Gardens:
| Image within the Gardens | Place of Devotion | Nation | Year of Devotion | Date of Installation | Feast Day |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Lourdes, France |  | 1858 | 1 June 1902 | February 11 |
 | Monte Figogna |  | 1490 | 2 May 1917 | August 29 |
 | Tepeyac, Mexico |  | 1531 | 14 October 1939 | December 12 |
 Our Lady of Fátima | Fátima, Portugal |  | 1917 | 29 May 1983 | 13 May |
| TheMadonna of Schoenstatt | Vallendar, Germany |  | 1914 | 1992 | October 18 |
 TheBlack Madonna of Częstochowa | Jasna Góra, Poland |  | 1382 | 1994 | August 26 |
| TheVirgin of Mercy | Savona | | 1536 | 10 May 1995 | March 18 |
| Our Lady of Divine Love | Via Ardeatina | | 1740 | 10 May 1999 | Monday of Pentecost |
| Our Lady of Sacred Heart of Taggia | Rome | | 1855 | 21 March 2006 | March 11 |
| Our Lady of Good Counsel | Genazzano, Italy | | 1467 | 11 July 2009 | April 26 |
| Virgin of Suyapa | Honduras |  | 1747 | 20 September 2013 | February 3 |
| Nuestra Senora de La Antigua | Panama |  | 1513 | 26 October 2013 | September 9 |
| Our Lady of Charity | Cuba |  | 1612 | 28 August 2014 | September 8 |
 Our Lady of Penafrancia | Philippines |  | 1434 | 3 December 2015 | 3rd Saturday in September |
| Our Lady of Aparecida | Brazil |  | 1717 | 3 September 2016 | October 12 |
| Virgen de Copacabana | Bolivia |  | 1583 | 25 September 2017 | February 2 August 5 |
| Virgin of Presentation of El Quinche | Ecuador |  | 1580 | 17 May 2019 | February 2 |
 Our Lady of the Rosary of Chiquinquirá | Colombia |  | 1560 | 9 July 2021 | February 2 |
This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "Vatican City Gardens".Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.The initial version is based upon the articleit:Giardini Vaticani of theItalian language edition of Wikipedia. Data concerning the measures of lengths were taken from the articlede:Vatikanische Gärten of the German language edition of Wikipedia.
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41°54′11″N12°27′2″E / 41.90306°N 12.45056°E /41.90306; 12.45056
