Pope Benedict XVI received United States President George W.Bush for private talks here Friday.
The talks, whose content is not usually divulged, lasted 30 minutes.
In a break with protocol, the pontiff received the president in the medieval St John's Tower inside the Vatican gardens - instead of the papal study normally used for such visits.
The change in venue was said to have been made to express the pope's gratitude for the hospitality shown to him during his recent visit to the White House, where Bush threw a party to mark his 81st birthday.
After their talks the pope and the president strolled around the gardens, chatting and smiling, before exchanging gifts of signed photographs.
Benedict's photo showed Bush and his wife Laura sitting with the pontiff while Bush's showed himself and the pope.
The US president also gave the pope an album of snaps logging his US tour last year.
Bush, Benedict, Laura and Vatican Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone then sat in the garden and listened to holy music - Bush tapping his feet to Palestrina's famed 'Exultate Deo'.
The visit - Bush's second to the pope - came at the end of two days of talks as part of the American president's farewell tour of Europe.
On Thursday evening he had a characteristically friendly encounter with Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi.
The two concurred on international issues including Italy's willingness to expand its role in Afghanistan but Italian hopes of clinching a place in the 5+1 talks on Iran were not met.
Bush arrived in Europe on Monday to attend Tuesday's annual US-European Union summit, which this year was held in Slovenia.
He began his farewell tour in Germany.
After Rome Bush travels to Paris, London and Belfast.
