VATICAN CITY (AP) -- The Easter Bunny has arrived early at the Vatican.

Pope Benedict XVI was presented Wednesday with an enormous, 250-kilogram (550-pound), 2.2-meter (7.2-foot) tall chocolate Easter egg by Italian chocolatier Tosca, which specializes in oversized cocoa confections.

The Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano said Benedict plans to donate the egg, which features the papal coat of arms, to a juvenile detention center in Rome.

In Italy, children traditionally receive a big chocolate egg with a prize inside on Easter Sunday.