OPENING OF SQUARE GARDEN AT VATICAN MUSEUMS

Vatican City, 25 March 2013 (VIS) – The Square Garden (“Giardino Quadrato”), ordered by Pope Paul III Farnese who also commissioned Michelangelo to paint “The Last Judgment” in 1534, will be open to visitors of the Vatican Museums beginning today.

Created by the architect Jacopo Meleghino, it is a classical Italian garden with four lawns bordered by hedges and covers nearly a hectare of ground. It has now been furnished with benches, upon which visitors can take a break from their tour of the museums. From the garden you can see the dome of St. Peter, the grove that covers the Vatican hill, and the walls of the museums' Pinacotheca, which houses works by Raphael, da Vinci, and Caravaggio.

Visiting hours for the Square Garden will be the same as those of the Vatican Museums.