Caching at the German Cemetery in Rome

There is a lot to discover at the German Cemetery or the Campo teutonico in Rome/Italy. We were there with cacher trips. With this article we would like to show you what the (new) virtual on the German cemetery in Rome and in the Vatican is all about.

The German Cemetery

The German cemetery in Rome (Campo Santo Teutonico) is officially called Campo Santo die Teutonici e dei Fiamminghi – Cemetery of the Germans and Flemings and the entrance is in the Vatican, in close proximity to St. Peter's Basilica. The campo also includes some buildings. The Lateran Treaties of 1929 established that the site is an extraterritorial possession of the Holy See. This means that the cemetery does not belong to Vatican City, but is on Italian territory. However, you can only access it via the Vatican.

In this context, German does not only mean German in the modern sense, but everyone who lives in the historical German cultural area. i.e. also Austrians, South Tyroleans, Alsatians, Swiss, Liechtensteiners, Luxembourgers and German-speaking Belgians. Flamen stands for the Flemish and the Dutch.

The actual campo with its graves is surrounded by a wall. Next to it is the church of Santa Maria della Pietá, seat of the Archconfraternity of Our Lady of Sorrows (Mater Dolorosa), the papal college and the Roman Institute of the Görres Society.

Virtual at the German cemetery

The Virtual Campo Santo the Teutonici e the Flamminghi (GC7B833) is one of the newer virtuals from 2017. It is located on the German Cemetery in the Vatican area. So, the cache is listed in Vatican City, with which you can reach this country point. The cemetery itself is on Italian territory. We could not find out whether the Pope and the Vatican have any knowledge of this cache. But what should the Pope have against it, if it's a virtual that perhaps attracts a few more visitors a year to the really worth seeing cemetery with an entrance in Vatican City....

Permission to log for the virtual at the German cemetery

The owner, Hufnagel, offers three different solutions for obtaining the log permission for this cache. The fastest and lightest, but also clearly the most boring solution is version 3 from the listing. Already from the outside you have a view of the church that belongs to the German Cemetery, Santa Maria della Pietá in Camposanto di Teutonici. You don't have to pass the Swiss Guard for this, you have an unobstructed view of the church through the fence. Version 2 of the possible log permit is obtained by photographing the view of the Campo from the dome of St. Peter's Basilica. So to speak, straight from top to bottom. If you plan to visit St. Peter's Basilica and climb the dome anyway, you have an easy version of the log permit here. However, this route should not be quick due to the long queues at the entrance. You can certainly get the log permit in the most exciting and beautiful way if you visit the German cemetery yourself. This is possible daily from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. and during church services.

Access to the German Cemetery

Access is not entirely unrestricted. As a German, you get access if you tell the Swiss Guard in German that you want to enter. If you come across St. Peter's Square and walk towards the coordinates of the Virtual under the arcades, you will quickly see the Swiss Guard. If you speak to the gentlemen at the entrance, you will be referred to the security service, who will check your luggage and people directly under the arcades. Similar to the airport, weapons and sharp objects and much more are not permitted here. Even the "small cacher's set" such as a Leatherman or similar lead to a refusal of entry. We are asked in English by the security service where we want to go. As in the listing of the cache (More information about the listing here: http://www.cacher-reisen.de/geocaching-listing-wichtige-informationen/) mentioned, we answer in German that we would like to go to the German Cemetery. We are briefly asked about our nationality and are allowed to go through the security check. Contrary to our idea of being pretty alone here as a cacher with our concern, there is a small queue at the security check. But no significant waiting time. We're starting to get a sense that this graveyard must be more interesting than just getting a virtual point.

Experiences in the German Cemetery

Once you have passed the security check, site fences lead us back to the Swiss Guard, who let small groups in at regular intervals. After a few meters you have reached the cemetery, which is really a small oasis of relaxation in the otherwise so busy hustle and bustle on St. Peter's Square. What we imagined to be difficult then happened almost automatically: we quickly found the small oil lamp that we wanted for a photo. Like many previous loggers, we used the metro card of the day to prove that we were logging for the right day. After we were sure of the spot, we strolled a bit through the small cemetery.

Conclusion on the German Cemetery

In any case, this was another virtual, which is located in a beautiful spot that no can could stand. The log conditions are fair and varied. This cache got a great rating from the BesserCacher and we highly recommend it! You can only say thank you to the owner, e.g. by leaving a blue heart.