Vatican City - Brief History and Travel Information

It is your destination for holy vacation! It is the holiest place in Christianity! It is one of the most pious and beautiful places of the world! It is you Vatican City! Vatican City is the governmental capital of the Catholic Church. It is the Holy See (La Santa Sede), the location of the Apostolic Palace – the official residence of Pope and the Roman Curia.

Located on the Vatican Hill in the west-central part of Rome, several hundred meters west of the Tiber River, Vatican City is a sovereign city-state, which is a walled enclave within the city of Rome. With approximately 44 hectares (108.7 acres) or 0.17 sq mi (0.44 sq km) of area, Vatican City is the smallest independent nation in the world. Its borders (3.2 km or 2 miles in total, all within Italy) closely follow the city wall constructed to protect the Pope from outside attack. Created in 1929 by the Lateran Treaty, Vatican City is a non-hereditary, elected monarchy that is governed by the Bishop of Rome – the Pope, meaning the Pope has total legislative, executive and judicial power over the Vatican City.

The Pope, who is the bishop of the Diocese of Rome, and Supreme Pontiff of the Catholic Church, is ex officio head of state and head of government Vatican City, officially regarded as "Sovereign of the State of the Vatican City". The Holy See is the territories of his governance, and he is the only absolute monarch in Europe. Roman Catholic is the religion of the Vatican City population that is about 1000, is mainly comprised of Vatican dignitaries, priests, nuns, and guards, who are ethnically Italian, Swiss, and others, speaking mainly Italian, Latin, French, and English languages.

Vatican City is widely known for spiritual & religious tourism. It is perhaps one of the best destinations for your spiritual and exotic vacation. Vatican City enjoys the same climate as that of Rome, which is a temperate, Mediterranean climate with mild, rainy winters from September to mid-May and hot, dry summers from May to August. Vatican City is the city full of piety and beauty. It offers a gorgeous and unique collection of artistic and architectural masterpieces.

The Basilica of Saint Petrus or Saint Peter's Basilica, officially known as the Basilica di San Pietro in Vaticano in Italian, the holiest sites of Christendom in the Catholic tradition. Saint Peter's Basilica is one of the major basilicas of Rome, and the most remarkable building inside the Vatican City. Covering an area of 5.7 acres (2.3 ha) and capacity of over 60,000 people, Saint Peter's Basilica is the holiest sites of Christendom in the Catholic tradition. It is traditionally the burial site of its namesake Saint Peter, who was one of the twelve apostles of Jesus, first Bishop of Antioch, and later first Bishop of Rome. The basilica, erected over the tomb of St Peter the Apostle, is the creation of the combined genius of Bramante, Raphael, Michelangelo, Bernini, and Maderna.

Located directly in front of St. Peter's Basilica, Saint Peter's Square, or Saint Peter's Piazza was built by Gianlorenzo Bernini between 1656 and 1667. The fountains at Saint Peter's Piazza were made by two different architects, Maderno and Bernini. In the middle of the square is the obelisk that was transported from Egypt to Rome in 37 A.D.

Vatican Museums (Musei Vaticani), the public art and sculpture museums, are one of the major attractions of the Vatican City. The museums exhibit the finest artworks at Pinacoteca Vaticana, Contemporary art museum, Sculpture museums, Museo Pio-Clementino, Museo Chiaramonti, Museo Gregoriano Etrusco, and Museo Egiziano. You can find some of the notable works of Leonardo da Vinci, Fra Angelico, Giotto, Raphael, Nicolas Poussin, and Titian at Vatican Museums. You can travel to Vatican City via Rome, by taxi, bus or by foot. You may take the Metro line A to Cipro for the Museums, or Ottaviano for St. Peter's, or the tram to Piazza del Risogimento. Vatican can be easily traveled by foot.