By KATHERINE PFLEGER
 Associated Press Writer

 WASHINGTON -- (AP) -- The Vatican's Washington envoy is prepared to offer a
 taste of Italy to Juan Miguel Gonzalez and his son Elian if the pair are reunited in
 Washington.

 With the feel of a quiet Italian villa, the Vatican's U.S. diplomatic headquarters
 has rooms full of Renaissance furniture and portraits of cardinals and popes in
 gilded frames.

 The pope stayed there during his visits in 1979 and 1987. Members of Elian's
 family, who are Catholic, also may be offered accommodations and hospitality
 from several nuns who handle the domestic chores at the residence.

 Officially, the Vatican only has acknowledged in a statement that, upon the
 request of two parties, ``the Holy See has made available its nunciature in
 Washington for the hand-over'' of Elian to his father.

 Outside the residence of Archbishop Gabriel Montalvo, the Vatican's envoy to
 Washington, anticipation was in the air Thursday.

 Satellite trucks from television networks and photographers gathered along the
 sidewalks awaiting a reunion between father and son that has not yet been
 scheduled. Passersby slowed down to see what was happening.

 On the inside, however, the residence remained at peace -- in part by design.

 Most of the blinds were down, and a smattering of visitors, employees and
 delivery men were admitted through large bolted doors.

 The three-story stone residence, formally called the Apostolic Nunciature of the
 Holy See, is home to roughly a dozen Roman Catholic nuns and priests who live
 on the top floor.

 Situated on Washington's embassy row, across from the vice president's home at
 the U.S. Naval Observatory, the building serves as the church's diplomatic center
 in Washington. The Vatican's envoy, called the papal nuncio, hosts receptions
 and welcomes church dignitaries, sometimes for overnight stays.

 The building boasts a foyer with 40-foot-tall ceilings, statues and a grand
 staircase. Shaped in a U, the halls wrap around a garden, complete with a stone
 fountain and trees showing the first signs of spring.

                     Copyright 2000 Miami Herald