Gardens of Vatican City
Centuries-old papal gardens with formal lawns, ornate fountains, and a Renaissance heritage.
Location
About this audio guide
This guide to the Gardens of Vatican City in Rome tells the story of Hanno, an elephant sent from Portugal in 1514 as a gift to the newly elected Pope Leo the Tenth. It follows Hanno's welcome at the papal court, the days he spent living in these gardens, and how Leo commissioned Raphael himself to paint the animal that had become the talk of Rome. Leo wrote that Hanno excited the greatest astonishment to the whole world, and visited him in these gardens often.
This audio guide was created using AI.
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