| Saint John's Tower | |
|---|---|
 Saint John's Tower is the round structure in the background of the picture. | |
 Click on the map to see marker | |
| General information | |
| Location | Vatican City |
| Coordinates | 41°54′05.57″N012°26′51.34″E / 41.9015472°N 12.4475944°E /41.9015472; 12.4475944 |
Saint John's Tower (Italian:Torre San Giovanni) is a roundstructure located on a hilltop in the westernmost tip ofVatican City,[1] nearVatican Radio and overlooking the Vatican Gardens.[2] Themedieval tower is located along an ancient wall built byPope Nicholas III, but it fell into disuse at the beginning of the 16th century. It was rebuilt byPope John XXIII in the early 1960s.[3]
In modern times, the Tower houses papal apartments used by popes when maintenance work is being done on theApostolic Palace and also is reserved for illustrious guests of the Pontiffs.[4] In 1979,Pope John Paul II temporarily moved into Torre San Giovanni while the work in his official apartment was being completed.[5] In 1971, Hungarian CardinalJózsef Mindszenty was allowed to stay in the tower byPope Paul VI, when the prelate was allowed to leave Budapest, where he had lived in asylum at the U.S. Embassy.[6] After CardinalTarcisio Bertone replaced CardinalAngelo Sodano asVatican Secretary of State in 2006, Cardinal Bertone lived in the tower while Cardinal Sodano continued to live in the official residence.[7]
In June 2008, the Vatican announced thatPope Benedict XVI would welcome U.S. PresidentGeorge W. Bush in the Torre San Giovanni during theAmerican President's visit to the Vatican that month, to repay Bush for the warm reception the Pope enjoyed at theWhite House during his April 2008 visit to theUnited States of America.[1] Normally the Pope greets heads of state in his private library in the Apostolic Palace.
Currently, Saint John's Tower is the seat of theSecretariat for the Economy.[8]
