You think you know the Vatican City, the smallest nation in the world, and the location of the Sistine Chapel, St. Peter's Basilica, and the Pope, in addition to the beautiful Vatican Museums.

Did you know that more than two-thirds of the Vatican is devoted to lush gardens tucked away behind the formidable Leonine walls, which were constructed in the ninth century to stave off Saracen marauders?

The Vatican gardens, a beautiful green space among the hustle and bustle of the city, fall down the steep slopes of the Vatican hill, offering centuries of anxious Popes the much-needed rest they required.

While still exclusive, it is now possible to visit this tranquil haven as part of your trip to the Vatican and follow in the footsteps of the popes; read on to find out more about the intriguing history of the Vatican Gardens, what to see, and how to get to the Pope's playground.

The Vatican Gardens: What Are They and Why Should I Visit? A trip to the serene Vatican gardens in the summer, when the Roman heat is at its best and crowds may overwhelm even the most seasoned traveler, can be precisely the restorative tonic you need to prepare for the demanding schedule that lies in the close-by Vatican museums and Sistine Chapel.

Since the Middle Ages, the Pope has found peace in the Vatican Gardens, a beautiful paradise of exotic plants and flowers that sprawls down walks and around courtyards filled with statues, fountains, and temples.

They feature an exquisite French garden with flowerbeds, a formal Italian garden with formal landscaping, and a more scenic English garden with open lawns, trees, and even a Chinese pagoda.

Visiting them is a terrific chance to view a side of Vatican City that most visitors never see. With one of Rome's most outstanding views of the basilica's enormous dome, the gardens are now a haven of peace where only the sound of birds, the bubbling of fountains, and the sporadic ringing of St. Peter's bells nearby break the serenity. Furthermore, if you're still unsure whose place you're in, the enormous topiary Stemma Papale, a gigantic papal coat of arms made entirely of ornamental shrubs and flowers placed into the Vatican Garden's well-tended lawns in front of the Palazzo del Governatorato, will immediately put your mind at ease.

Each new Pope's emblem is meticulously made with flowers and plants that match the colors of the crest; for the current pontiff Francis, this required planting hundreds of crimson begonias, dazzling blue mink flowers, and yellow-green Euonymus Pulchellus.