Occupying an area a
fraction of that of New
York City's Central
Park, the Vatican
Gardens possess 23
hectares (57 acres) of
pathways, hedgerows,
parterres, roundabouts,
stairs, courtyards and
a roadway. Scores
of shrines, statues,
columns, urns,
fountains, streams and
debris garnered from
the remains of several
thousand years of
recorded history are
found in the vicinity.
There are monumental
palm trees, pavilions for
rest, a tower for Radio
Vatican communication,
a bank of tropical
plants, buildings for
research and study,
a retreat for the Pope
and, now, a residence
for his predecessor.
HYLAND
