THE VATICAN GARDENS, ROME 
PLATES 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74 
ROM very early days the ground now occupied by St. Peter’s and the Vatican 
has been a sacred spot. It was the last of the fourteen districts into 
which the Emperor Augustus divided the city. The famous gardens of 
Domitian and Agrippina were laid out here, and here also was the great 
Circus of Caligula, with its lofty obelisk that occupies the centre of Bernini’s 
colonnade, and enjoys the unique distinction of never having been levelled 
to the ground since the day of its erection. Upon the fall of Rome this 
district became deserted until, in 848, the Saracens having been utterly routed at Ostia, 
numerous slaves were brought to Rome and set to labour in restoring its walls, and Leo IV. 
continued the work of his predecessor in building up the walls of the great palace which has 
ever since been known as the Vatican. Of the gardens as they existed in those days, it would 
be difficult to form any very accurate idea, and they were probably only first laid out in an 
ornamental form when Sixtus IV. was Pope. What was done at this period we cannot say, but 
some few years later more extensive works were carried out, first under the direction of Raphael 
and then by Antonio da Sangallo the younger; though since then the gardens have been much 
altered, they still show traces of the works executed at this time. In 1845 the grounds of the 
Hospital of Santo Spirito were added to their area. Evelyn, who came to Rome in 1644, 
remarks on the many stately fountains in the gardens, ‘ especially two casting water into antique 
lavers, brought from Titus’ baths, some fair grots and water-works, that noble cascade where 
the ship dances, with divers other pleasant inventions, walks, terraces, meanders, fruit-trees, and 
a most goodly prospect over the greatest part of the city. One fountain under the gate I must 
not omit, consisting of three jettos of water gushing out of the mouths or probosces of bees, 
the arms of the late Pope’(Urban VIII., Barberini). Two immense courtyards, one known as the 
Giardino della Pigna, occupy the greater part of the area of the palace; at the present time the 
gardens are not kept up as they should be, and it is to be hoped that the day is not far distant when 
they may once more be worthily maintained. The palace extends along the whole of the eastern side 
of the gardens, a distance of about four hundred yards, separated by a roadway gradually inclining 
towards the principal entrance in the north-east corner. From here we reach the broad terrace 
overlooking the great parterre, with the magnificent view of the dome of St. Peter’s illustrated 
( 95 ) B B 
