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Citrus walls, pergolas and formal beds
The Vatican Museums give the area of the Vatican Gardens as approximately 22 hectares. In their account, the Square Garden began in the 16th century as a levelled area of 90 by 130 metres, enclosed by high walls covered with citrus espaliers, and was enlarged and made square in the following century.
At a glance
A place worth remembering
A garden measured in hectares
The Vatican Museums give the area of the gardens as approximately 22 hectares and describe expanses of lawn and wooded areas, collections of plants and numerous fountains.[1]
The Square Garden’s citrus walls
The Vatican Museums describe an area of 90 by 130 metres levelled for the Square Garden in the Vatican Gardens in the 16th century and enclosed by high walls covered with espaliers of citrus trees. Inside, avenues covered with pergolas crossed the flowerbeds. In the following century the garden was enlarged and made square.[2][1]
Ordered beds and terraces
The Vatican Museums credit architect Giuseppe Momo, assisted by botanist Giovanni Nicolini, with redesigning the Vatican Gardens over four years. The Italian Garden page describes rigorously ordered flowerbeds and artfully pruned hedges, the Shell Garden with a fountain, a terraced garden with multicoloured flowers and a Rose Garden at the highest point of the hill.[3][1]
Good to know
A few clear answers before you explore.
How large are the Vatican Gardens?
The Vatican Museums give an area of approximately 22 hectares.[1]
What defines the Square Garden layout?
The original 16th-century area measured 90 by 130 metres; it was enlarged and made square in the following century. The Vatican Museums also describe high walls covered with citrus espaliers.[2]
Who designed the Italian-style gardens?
The Vatican Museums credit architect Giuseppe Momo, assisted by botanist Giovanni Nicolini, with a four-year redesign of the Vatican Gardens that created a series of Italian-style gardens.[3]
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