Lentorama 2026: Hic es: aedificia Vaticani

Day 23: Statzione Vaticana

This is the dedicated terminal for the Vatican Railway, which at 300 meters is the shortest national railway in the world. The railway was established to connect the Vatican to the Italian rail system by a connection at the Roma San Pietro station. 

Rail access to and from the Vatican was guaranteed in the Lateran Treaty of 1929, and Pope Piux XI started construction of the railway and station shortly after ratification. 

The station was designed by - surprise! - Giuseppe Momo, and opened in 1933. It does not get a lot of use, mostly for freight and the occasional trip out to Castel Gandolfo. Pope Francis opened the rail line to the public so that tour groups to Gandolfo could take the train out there, but as far as I can tell there's no regular service. It's also not clear to me if the station is open to the public generally, or if there is actually a stamp and coin museum there. I think the Vatican is missing an opportunity to get train geeks to visit.

 Lentorama 2026: Hic es: aedificia Vaticani

Day 22: Greenhouses, Viale San Marco

I didn't find much information about the greenhouses (or maybe just greenhouse?) at the Vatican, other than that they (it?) exist(s). I assume it's helpful in both preparing plants for the gardens and providing the various sacramental and living spaces with flora. There is a lot more out there about the greenhouse and other facilities at Castel Gandolfo, the pope's summer residence, which now houses a training center for ecologically-focused agriculture.

Lentorama 2026: Hic es: aedificia Vaticani

Day 21: Pinacoteca, Viale della Zitella

For centuries, as popes acquired paintings, they would be displayed in various places around the Apostolic Palace. It wasn't until the 20th century that the collection was given a proper home, as Piux XI called on old friend Luca Beltrami (who had been given a number of other Vatican commissions) to create the Pinacoteca. It opened in 1932, the year before Beltrami died.

The museum has a collection of about 460 works, mostly Italian. The artists represented in the collection run from Giotto to Leonardo to Raphael to Caravaggio. 

 Lentorama 2026: Hic es: aedificia Vaticani

Day 20: Casina del Giardiniere, Rampa dell'Archeologia

The gardener's lodge is located (not surprisingly) in the Vatican Gardens, located just behind St. Peter's and near the St. Peter memorial. There's not a lot of information about the lodge online, other than it's the home of the Vatican's head gardener. I did find a mention that it was built in the 12th century, and from the pictures I could find I don't doubt it. 

It's not open to the public, which isn't surprising as it's someone's house. You do see it on some of the garden tours, hopefully those folks have more information about the building than what's on Google.

 Lentorama 2026: Hic es: aedificia Vaticani

Day 19: Torre Gregoriana

The Gregorian Tower, also known as the Tower of the Winds, is unique in that it's a building built on top of other buildings. Constructed between 1578 and 1580, the two-story tower in on top of the Gallery of Maps that is part of the Vatican Museum. It served as an observatory, as the planned Gregorian calendar reform would involve a number of astronomical observations.

Outside of a period in the 19th century, the tower (now actually two towers) has served as an observatory, though is now more of an historical site. It also features some 16th century Flemish frescoes, and was once the residence of Queen Charlotte of Sweden after she converted to Catholicism. 

Lentorama 2026: Hic es: aedificia Vaticani

Day 18: Residence of the Arch-Priest, Piazza Santa Marta

Located next to San Carlo, the residence is the home of the arch-priest of St. Peter's Basilica. This appears to be a largely honorary position, though it does seem like the current arch-priest, Cardinal Mauro Gambetti, does have a fairly public role with regards to St. Peter's. He is, however, also the president of the Fabric of St. Peter, the organization responsible for the conservation and maintenance of the basilica, which seems like a job that would require some public face time.

As far as the residence goes, I can't really find anything about it online other than where it's located, just on the corner of St. Marta's Square. I did find one page stating that the residence also has offices for those who work in St. Peter's, like vicars, canons, etc.  

 Lentorama 2026: Hic es: aedificia Vaticani

Day 17: Torre San Giovanni

Saint John's Tower was built by Pope Nicholas III in the 13th century, likely as part of improved fortifications. It fell into disuse by the 16th century, and wasn't used for much until Pope John XXIII rebuilt it in the early 1960s.

That rebuild created papal apartments for use when the apartments in the Apostolic Palace are being renovated or otherwise unavailable. It occasionally also gets use for other non-popes, and has on at least one occasion served as the reception area for a US presidential visit (Benedict XVI welcomed George W. Bush to the Vatican in the tower when he visited in 2008).

Pope Francis gave the tower a more official purpose when he made it the seat of the new Secretariat for the Economy, which he created in 2014. The secretariat covers all financial and economic matters of the Vatican, as well as its human resources department.