Gardens of Vatican City Park

Address: Vatican City, Vatican City State

Website: http://www.museivaticani.va/

Hours: Guided tours scheduled daily by reservation; times vary

Admission: Gardens open by guided tour only; Vatican Museums tickets sometimes include garden tours-prices vary (Vatican Museums €17-30; garden tour additional fee)

The Gardens of Vatican City are a landscaped complex of lawns, formal gardens, fountains and monuments occupying nearly a quarter of the microstate. They combine medieval, Renaissance and Baroque features and are an important green space within Vatican City.

Paths, terraces, ornamental plantings and sculptural features are laid out across about 23 hectares and include formal courtyards, lawns and decorative fountains. The gardens also contain small buildings and chapels and a mixture of historic and later plantings.

Origins trace back through the medieval period, with extensive redesign and additions under Renaissance and Baroque popes; the layout seen today reflects centuries of papal patronage and horticultural change. Over time the area evolved from private papal grounds to the landscaped complex preserved today.

Geographically the gardens sit inside the walls of Vatican City on the west side of St. Peter’s Basilica, forming a green plateau within the tiny state and adjacent to the Vatican administrative buildings. They are enclosed and separate from the public spaces around St. Peter’s Square.

• Area: Covers roughly 23 hectares, making it a substantial portion of the Vatican City’s territory.
• Visitor access: Access is limited to organised guided tours only, which must be booked through the Vatican or authorised tour operators.

What to See#

• Belvedere Courtyard: A large formal courtyard laid out during Renaissance and Baroque periods that links several terraces and contains monumental fountains and sculptures.
• Rose Garden: A small walled area of cultivated roses and ornamental plantings established for ceremonial and decorative use within the garden complex.
• Formal terraces and fountains: Series of terraced lawns, grottoes and ornamental fountains that cross the slope behind St. Peter’s Basilica and incorporate medieval and later monuments.

Access to the Vatican Gardens is only by guided tour; tours usually begin at the Vatican Museums entrance (Viale Vaticano). Book tickets via the Vatican Museums website and arrive at the indicated meeting point in St. Peter’s Square area.

• Book an official Vatican Gardens guided tour well in advance; spaces are limited and sell out fast.
• Tours are often conducted in English and Italian only-check language availability and meet at the designated museum entrance.
• Combine the garden tour with an early Vatican Museums visit to avoid crowds.