October 12, 2021 •  A Morning in the Vatican Gardens

The walls the Vatican encompass Saint Peter's Basilica, the Vatican Museums, Papal apartments, the Sistine Chapel and the beautiful gardens covering most of Vatican Hill. The gardens include areas forested in trees from all over the world and smaller areas landscaped in the Italian, English and French styles.  Scattered throughout are fountains, sculptures and even a replica of the grotto at Lourdes, a favorite place of prayer for the Pope.  Sitting at the highest point of the hill is the Vatican radio station, appropriately named after Guglielmo Marconi, the inventor of the radio. Even though the Vatican is the smallest sovereign country in the world, it has one of the largest world wide radio audiences. This little country even has a helicopter port, railway station, post office and a gas station.  We even spotted a stop light at one intersection. I guess they have it all.

Saint Peters Basilica

One of the Many Garden Vistas

Pontifical Academy of Sciences

Marconi Radio Station

Michelangelo's Dome from the Gardens

A Sculpture of Michael the Archangel

Swiss Guards in the Renaissance Uniform designed by Michelangelo (except the masks!)

This must be the entrance.