Lentorama 2026: Hic es: aedificia Vaticani

Day 33: Palazzo della Canonico

I still don't know much about this building, which is located right next to the sacristy of St. Peter's (more, but maybe not much more, about that later). It doesn't help that there are other buildings by this name in Italy, most notably (based on the number of hits) in Pisa.

The best that I can tell is that this was built for the canons of the basilica by Pius VI. which would put its construction in the last quarter of the 18th century. Other than use by the canons, it was also the home of the basilica's archives for a time (most of the archive was relocated to the Vatican Library in 1940).

More recently, the building became home to the School of Arts and Crafts of the Fabric of Saint Peter, which will teach skills like masonry, plastering, and carpentry to students who will then use their skills to maintain the basilica (the mission of the Fabric). 

One map I've been consulting for this suggests that the building is also the home to the Treasury of St. Peter, a museum of historical liturgical artifacts used in earlier iterations of the basilica. But the descriptions I've found online make it sound like the museum is housed in the basilica (or the sacristy) itself.

Lentorama 2026: Hic es: aedificia Vaticani

Day 32: Domus Sanctae Marthae, Piazzza Santa Marta

The House of Saint Martha takes its name from Martha of Bethany, sister of Lazarus. The Bible stories with Martha show her as being focused on the duties of the household and towards her guests, as opposed to her sister Mary, who "has chosen what is better" by ignoring those duties and only paying attention to Jesus and his teaching.

Over time, as Martha became venerated, the stories were transformed into positive qualities of common sense, maturity, and care for others. So it's not surprising that when John Paul II decided to build a place where visiting clerics could stay when visiting the Vatican, he chose to name it after Martha. 

The domus was built on the site of the former St. Martha Hospice, built in 1891 by Leo XIII to treat patients of an expected cholera outbreak. When that didn't happen it took in the sick from part of Rome, as well as pilgrims who fell ill. Over time it began to house displaced persons and, increasingly, Vatican staff.

JP2's primary motivation for building the domus, though, was to give cardinals a place to stay during conclaves. Previously they stayed in temporary rooms in the Apostolic Palace, which were lacking in comfort and amenities (as JP2 experienced himself in two conclaves). The five story building, located next to the Palazzo San Carlo and steps from St. Peter's, was completed in 1996. It would be used for a conclave for the first time after John Paul's death.

The domus may be best known as the home for Pope Francis during his tenure in office. He opted to stay in the domus rather than move to the papal apartments as he wanted to live with others rather than in the solitude the apartments would provide. This arrangement is also seen in the movie Conclave, where the recently deceased pope is shown living in the same building that the cardinals inhabit during the vote to replace him.

 Lentorama 2026: Hic es: aedificia Vaticani

Day 31: Grotta di Lourdes, Viale Benedetto Quindicesimo

In 1854, Pope Pius IX promulgated the dogma of the Immaculate Conception, the idea that Mary was free of original sin from the moment of her conception. This idea was the basis of a series of visions a few years later by Bernadette Soubrious, who reported 18 visitations by Mary in a grotto near Lourdes, France.

The construction of replica grottoes became popular after that, with Leo XIII deciding the Vatican needed one of its own.  Built in the Vatican Gardens along the wall to St. John's Tower, it was presented to Leo in 1902 but formally consecrated in 1905 by Piux X.

The grotto was built with a spire and two staircases to reach it, but all of that was removed by Pius XI and John XXIII for safety reasons. The grotto is often the site of a papal mass at the end of May, a month dedicated to Mary by the church.

Lentorama 2026: Hic es: aedificia Vaticani

Day 30: Heliport, Viale Pio XI

Not a building per se, but in the interest of transportation completeness let's throw it in. The Vatican heliport is a concrete slab with parking tucked into the westernmost bastion of the Leonine Wall. It was built in 1976 by Paul VI to facilitate trips between the Vatican and Castel Gandolfo, as travel by car could take up to two hours one way.

The heliport is also occasionally used to get visiting dignitaries to the Vatican from Rome's airport. It can also be used for medical transport to the Bambino Gesu Hospital, a pediatric hospital in Rome that was donated to the Vatican and is under its extraterritorial jurisdiction.

  Lentorama 2026: Hic es: aedificia Vaticani

Day 29: Barracks of the Papal Gendarmerie

Unlike the Swiss Guard, who were founded for the personal protection of the Pope, the Papal Gendarmerie were founded in the early 19th century to ensure public safety in the Papal States. After Italy conquered the states as part of unification, the gendarmerie shifted to providing the same services for the Vatican. This became their official role after the Lateran Treaty, and they transitioned to being fully focused on Vatican security under Paul IV.  This page goes into greater depth about the role of the gendarmerie today (including its band!) and the qualifications to join.

There is not a lot of information online about the gendarmerie barracks, which is located near the Church of San Pellegrino and the Vatican print media offices. It does not appear that anyone is looking to replace the building. The barracks does house an historical armory, which includes a number of bombards, cannon, and muskets.

 Lentorama 2026: Hic es: aedificia Vaticani

Day 28: Barracks of the Swiss Guard

The Swiss Guard was founded in 1506 with a simple mission - protect the life of the Pope at all costs. That mission hasn't really changed since then, in much the same way as their uniform and most notable weaponry are still rooted in the Renaissance. While they largely perform ceremonial functions today, the guard still protects the Pope and the Vatican, and is one of the oldest military units in continuous operation.

They are housed in a barracks located just to the left of St. Anne's Gate (as you enter the Vatican), a complex built in the 19th century. Two buildings house unmarried guardsmen and the canteen, while a third building holds their offices and lodgings for married guards (guards have to be single when they join, but can marry during their service). 

Unfortunately, the complex hasn't had much work done to it since it was built, and is not in the best of shape. It is also too small to house all of the guards, a number of whom live in Rome. In order to remedy these problems, a Swiss foundation was formed to renovate the barracks, which will involve an almost complete teardown of the existing structures. This website from the foundation behind the rebuild includes some renderings and other information about the project. 

Just don't expect to see it in person any time soon. As this story notes, the cost of the project has ballooned from its original 45 million Swiss francs to at least 70 million, and is now not expected to be completed until 2029 at the earliest.

Lentorama 2026: Hic es: aedificia Vaticani

Day 27: Radio Vaticana, Via A. Canal

Vatican Radio started broadcasting in 1931, thanks to the help of local radio enthusiast Guglielmo Marconi. Service grew during the 1930s and 1940s (when it maintained broadcasting independence during World War II), and in the 1950s opened a transmission and broadcasting center at Santa Maria di Galeria, an extraterritorial property of the Vatican about 10 kilometers north of Rome.

In 1950 it also became one of the founding members of the European Broadcasting Union, of which it is still a member. Meaning that the Vatican could, it it wanted to, participate in the Eurovision Song Contest.

The station broadcast content to all corners of the globe, carrying news and programming related to the Vatican and the Catholic faith. More recently, Vatican Radio moved into online spaces, from livestreams to podcasts to its own YouTube channel. This saw a related reduction in traditional radio services, aimed at both reducing redundancies in service and saving money. The station is estimated to lose between 20 and 30 million Euro a year, even with the backing of the church and the introduction of advertising on some broadcasts.

The station has also dabbled in TV, with current programming available through a satellite channel.

Now part of the Secretariat of Communications, this building located in the Vatican Gardens houses administrative offices and a small museum.