Lentorama 2026: Hic es: aedificia Vaticani

Day 34: Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana, Cortile Belvedere

The origins of the Apostolic Library go back to the 4th century, when there is documentary evidence of  a combined library and archive. But there wasn't a specific, permanent collection until the 15th century, when Pope Nicholas V made the decision to create a formal library and Sixtus IV saw the plan through. Starting with a collection of 1200 manuscripts in Latin, Greek, and Hebrew, the collection would grow over time, with a collection today of over 1.1 million books and 75,000 codices.

The library is still located in its original building, which is now considered part of the Apostolic Palace complex. Its most notable contribution to Vatican architecture was its bisecting of the Belvedere Courtyard, created by Donato Bramante in the early 16th century. The courtyard was originally intended as one long enclosed space running from the Apostolic Palace to the Villa Belvedere. But a new wing for the library ordered by Sixtus V saw the courtyard cut into two pieces (now three, with the Pigna Courtyard, a small library courtyard, and the remaining Belvedere Courtyard).

While I feel bad for Bramante that his original vision was permanently altered, he at least didn't live to see it happen. It also could be worse; he could have lived to see that, today, his courtyard is used as a parking lot.

 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.