Vatican Gardens

On Tuesday we had the opportunity to tour the Vatican Gardens by Bus, they take you through on a small bus with a pre-recorded tour in your language, you use little ear plugs to listen.  It was very nice but it would have been better, for those of us who are gardeners, to be able to walk around and examine the specimens.

Within the Gardens are also the governmental buildings that support the Vatican City-State, remember the Vatican is an independent sovereignty.  It is an Independent Country with Ambassadors around the world and a seat at the United Nations.  The Pope is the monarch of the country and it has a Secretary of State who is a Cardinal.  The buildings include Vatican TV. Radio, Newspaper, Observatory, Goverante, Judicial, various Chapels.  There is a heliport, lots of outdoor shrine,  several fountains, a veggie garden, and all kinds of rare trees and plants.

The Governate

A Chapel

Dome of St. Peter's from the Garden

Sculpture

Modern Version of Our Lady of Fatima

St. Juan Diego presenting the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe to the Bishop of Mexico

Copy of a Miraculous Image

Bell that signaled the beginning of the Great Jubilee Year 2000

English Style Formal Garden

Desert Garden

Coral Garden with Fountain and papyrus

Seashell Fountain with formal hedges

 Oh, I forgot they also have a train station, the worlds smallest Rail Service.  There is a gate in the Wall that opens and from their it joins the Italian Railway System.  It is rarely used for transportation by the Pope but is used to bring supplies into the Vatican which it was doing the day we toured.

Vatican Train Station unloading provisions

Lion Fountain

The Heliport with statue of the Famous Polish Black Madonna, wonder who put that there?? (JP11)

 In the afternoon I went Geo Cacheing but also stopped by several Churches.  The on is Holy Trinity of the Pilgrims.  On All Souls they had a Solemn Mass for the Dead with a very elaborate funeral set up.

 After that I stopped at St. Barbara's one of the smaller Churches in the City.  It has this very beautiful Medieval tryptic in a side chapel.