Vatican Gardens: Grotto of Lourdes
Classification: Garden
Materials: Various
Adopted By: The California Chapter
Total Cost: € 260,000
Description
A place of delight and repose, of spiritual meditation and contact with nature, the Vatican Gardens occupy almost half of the 44 acres that constitute the Vatican City State. Meandering through the gardens means passing through a history of almost eight centuries told via plants, shrubs, sculptures and fountains which bear testimony to the varying tastes of different Pontiffs who, over time, have added their own personal modifications and changes to the visage of “Vatican nature”. Although profoundly transformed after changes following the 1929 Lateran Treaty between Church and State, the Vatican Gardens’ history dates back to the time of Pope Nicolas II (1277-1280). On one of the Vatican hills, he planted a viridarium, a walled area of greenery styled according to medieval use. It was comprised of medicinal herbs, and could have very well been one of the first botanical gardens in Italy. From this primary nucleus, other foliage was eventually added to accompany the ornamental plants and citrus trees. The area developed into a larger garden enhanced by multiple architects, such as Donato Bramante, who also conceived the Belvedere Courtyard during the pontificate of Julius II.
Unfortunately the French invasion of 1798 severely destroyed a major part of the gardens. In the following century, after some first attempts at ruralizing the area, Gregory XVI reinstated the care of the gardens. He redesigned the secret garden of Paul III (currently the square courtyard of the Pinacoteca), established greenhouses and dispersed within the woods various sculptures and marble fixtures according the latest fashion of the English garden. One example was an area under the holm-oak woods defined in an antique document as “a spot, or rather, the English gardens” wherein lied a peculiarity – a “kind of temple constructed out of the ruins”. This capricious pastiche was created from pieces of other monuments, some of which have since disappeared. It actually consisted of a statue of Apollo strumming his lyre and resting on a pedestal, which subsequently leaned on a marble slab from a monument dating from the time of the first Vatican Council in 1885. In 1935, the conglomeration was dismantled and used as ornamentation in various zones of the garden. The 1929 Treaty brought radical transformations. The newly formed Vatican City State necessitated interior restructuring, including that of the garden area. Architect Giuseppe Momo alongside botanist Giovanni Nicolini managed in four years to overhaul the garden’s physiognomy into what is visible today. However, the changes are ongoing. There are almost 550 pieces of ancient monuments, gifts to the pontificate, Marian statues, and other sculptures being used to furnish and embellish the natural environment. The gardens continue to give testimony to a rich history as a capable team of gardeners, still adhering to the schema set by Momo and Nicolini, labor unceasingly to enrich the space materially and spiritually. Also thanks to the continual addition of Catholic devotional pieces gifted to the Pontificate, every embellishment helps the gardens to keep growing as one of the most striking areas of the Vatican.
Restoration Procedures
The important initiative to restore the works that adorn the gardens started in the second half of 2014 with a pilot site (named Cascatelle, or small waterfalls). Accurate planning, in turn, warranted the subdivision of the entire garden’s vast lot of territory in order to better organize the operators and restorers. Over the course of time many pieces were restored such as the “temple” in ruin with the ancient statue of Apollo, which eventually resided in the area known as “the Holm Oaks”. This section, arranged and ornamented in the 1900’s according to the romantic style, was bejeweled with archeological finds from the Museums, dismembered monuments, antique sarcophagi, Roman statues, and caprices from the turn of the century sculpted in an antique style. Other examples such as this include the darling pastique now in the Madonna della Guardia (Madonna of the Guard), which displays an elegant female bust emerging from a seashell. An important advance in faith formation was the restoration of the Grotto of Lourdes. This section is an authentic representation of the famous French sanctuary of Massabielle where the Madonna appeared to the fourteen year-old Bernadette Soubirous. The grotto was a gift to Pope Leo XIII in 1902 from the Bishop of Tarbes with the original altar of the Grotto di Lourdes inside. Dear to the pontiffs who celebrate Mass here on special occasions, the pilgrimage destination is also a place where a compelling candlelit procession concludes at the end of the May. The faithful process through the gardens on a “Marian” pilgrimage route dotted along the way with images of Our Lady, and conclude at the Grotto in the presence of the Holy Father.
The demanding restoration of the gardens is estimated to last about another two years, a period in which work will commence in important zones such as Eliporto (the helicopter landing), Torre San Giovanni (The Tower of St. John XXIII), and the Fontana di Aquilone (Fountain of the Eagle). Also included in the projects is the Giardino Quadrato (Rectangular Garden) of antique origin. This section enlivens every visitor’s gaze spanning from the Pinacoteca, and then meeting up with the gardens of the Casina of Pius IV, a fascinating example of 16th century Roman architecture and now the seat of the Pontifical Academy of the Sciences. The gardens of the Casina were even once bedecked with medicinal herbs intended to help care for the pontiff. The pilot section of Cascatelle was paramount in developing innovative procedures and conservation methodologies. In particular, essential oil solutions were employed (i.e. oregano, rosemary, licorice) for biocide treatments with very low environmental impact. So much positive feedback was received for this new experimentation that it was decided to organize a study day regarding the technologies, wherein field experts were invited to share and learn about the important findings from the process.
Vatican Gardens: Grotto of Lourdes
Details
Adopted by: The California Chapter
Classification: Garden
Materials: Various
Department: XVII-XVIII Century Art
Laboratory: Stone Materials
Description
A place of delight and repose, of spiritual meditation and contact with nature, the Vatican Gardens occupy almost half of the 44 acres that constitute the Vatican City State. Meandering through the gardens means passing through a history of almost eight centuries told via plants, shrubs, sculptures and fountains which bear testimony to the varying tastes of different Pontiffs who, over time, have added their own personal modifications and changes to the visage of “Vatican nature”. Although profoundly transformed after changes following the 1929 Lateran Treaty between Church and State, the Vatican Gardens’ history dates back to the time of Pope Nicolas II (1277-1280). On one of the Vatican hills, he planted a viridarium, a walled area of greenery styled according to medieval use. It was comprised of medicinal herbs, and could have very well been one of the first botanical gardens in Italy. From this primary nucleus, other foliage was eventually added to accompany the ornamental plants and citrus trees. The area developed into a larger garden enhanced by multiple architects, such as Donato Bramante, who also conceived the Belvedere Courtyard during the pontificate of Julius II.
Unfortunately the French invasion of 1798 severely destroyed a major part of the gardens. In the following century, after some first attempts at ruralizing the area, Gregory XVI reinstated the care of the gardens. He redesigned the secret garden of Paul III (currently the square courtyard of the Pinacoteca), established greenhouses and dispersed within the woods various sculptures and marble fixtures according the latest fashion of the English garden. One example was an area under the holm-oak woods defined in an antique document as “a spot, or rather, the English gardens” wherein lied a peculiarity – a “kind of temple constructed out of the ruins”. This capricious pastiche was created from pieces of other monuments, some of which have since disappeared. It actually consisted of a statue of Apollo strumming his lyre and resting on a pedestal, which subsequently leaned on a marble slab from a monument dating from the time of the first Vatican Council in 1885. In 1935, the conglomeration was dismantled and used as ornamentation in various zones of the garden. The 1929 Treaty brought radical transformations. The newly formed Vatican City State necessitated interior restructuring, including that of the garden area. Architect Giuseppe Momo alongside botanist Giovanni Nicolini managed in four years to overhaul the garden’s physiognomy into what is visible today. However, the changes are ongoing. There are almost 550 pieces of ancient monuments, gifts to the pontificate, Marian statues, and other sculptures being used to furnish and embellish the natural environment. The gardens continue to give testimony to a rich history as a capable team of gardeners, still adhering to the schema set by Momo and Nicolini, labor unceasingly to enrich the space materially and spiritually. Also thanks to the continual addition of Catholic devotional pieces gifted to the Pontificate, every embellishment helps the gardens to keep growing as one of the most striking areas of the Vatican.
Restoration Procedures
The important initiative to restore the works that adorn the gardens started in the second half of 2014 with a pilot site (named Cascatelle, or small waterfalls). Accurate planning, in turn, warranted the subdivision of the entire garden’s vast lot of territory in order to better organize the operators and restorers. Over the course of time many pieces were restored such as the “temple” in ruin with the ancient statue of Apollo, which eventually resided in the area known as “the Holm Oaks”. This section, arranged and ornamented in the 1900’s according to the romantic style, was bejeweled with archeological finds from the Museums, dismembered monuments, antique sarcophagi, Roman statues, and caprices from the turn of the century sculpted in an antique style. Other examples such as this include the darling pastique now in the Madonna della Guardia (Madonna of the Guard), which displays an elegant female bust emerging from a seashell. An important advance in faith formation was the restoration of the Grotto of Lourdes. This section is an authentic representation of the famous French sanctuary of Massabielle where the Madonna appeared to the fourteen year-old Bernadette Soubirous. The grotto was a gift to Pope Leo XIII in 1902 from the Bishop of Tarbes with the original altar of the Grotto di Lourdes inside. Dear to the pontiffs who celebrate Mass here on special occasions, the pilgrimage destination is also a place where a compelling candlelit procession concludes at the end of the May. The faithful process through the gardens on a “Marian” pilgrimage route dotted along the way with images of Our Lady, and conclude at the Grotto in the presence of the Holy Father.
The demanding restoration of the gardens is estimated to last about another two years, a period in which work will commence in important zones such as Eliporto (the helicopter landing), Torre San Giovanni (The Tower of St. John XXIII), and the Fontana di Aquilone (Fountain of the Eagle). Also included in the projects is the Giardino Quadrato (Rectangular Garden) of antique origin. This section enlivens every visitor’s gaze spanning from the Pinacoteca, and then meeting up with the gardens of the Casina of Pius IV, a fascinating example of 16th century Roman architecture and now the seat of the Pontifical Academy of the Sciences. The gardens of the Casina were even once bedecked with medicinal herbs intended to help care for the pontiff. The pilot section of Cascatelle was paramount in developing innovative procedures and conservation methodologies. In particular, essential oil solutions were employed (i.e. oregano, rosemary, licorice) for biocide treatments with very low environmental impact. So much positive feedback was received for this new experimentation that it was decided to organize a study day regarding the technologies, wherein field experts were invited to share and learn about the important findings from the process.
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in the Vatican Museums
Vatican Museums V-00120,
Vatican City State (Europe)
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