Vatican City Travel Insurance

The Gardens of Vatican City, also informally known as the Vatican Gardens, are private urban gardens created for Pope Nicholas II in the 13th century as a space for peaceful reflection.

Over the centuries, the landscaped gardens, grassy spaces, and orchards have grown to cover nearly one-half of the area of Vatican City. In addition to the formal French Garden, visitors will find many individually potted plants along the paths, which contain stunning azaleas and other lush flowers. Planted among these and in the orchard are several rare trees, including an Australian silk oak, as well as many trees that were brought as gifts by official visitors.

Saint Peter’s Square is a large plaza located directly in front of St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City. St. Peter’s Basilica was laid out by Bernini between 1656 and 1667 to provide a setting where the faithful from all over the world could gather.

It still serves that purpose admirably and is filled to capacity each Easter Sunday and on other important occasions. Both the square and the basilica are named after Saint Peter, an apostle of Jesus considered by Catholics to be the first Pope. The large oval area, 372 meters long, is enclosed at each end by semicircular colonnades surmounted by a balustrade with 140 statues of saints. 

The Vatican Necropolis is the city of the dead beneath the Vatican, where you’ll find historic tombs and mausoleums that have been hidden for centuries. The cemetery dates back to the Roman era and you will find remains from the 1st and 4th centuries.

One of the main attractions of this particular attraction is that it is said to be the burial place of St. Peter, one of the twelve apostles and the first pope. In addition, there is the Temple of Emperor Constantine and various Christian and pagan cemeteries. It is located under the basilica, on the south side of the city.