- The Vatican City State, also known as the Vatican, is an independent city state within the city of Rome.
- Its titular head is the Pope, who is the Sovereign Pontiff, Head of the Catholic Church and Bishop of Rome.
Getting There
- Location: Piazza San Pietro, Rome.
- Nearest Metro Station: Ottaviano, Line A, then Bus 982.
History
- The Vatican became independent in 1929 with the Lateran Treaty, and has its own diplomatic envoys.
- It is the smallest State in the world.
Buildings
- St. Peter's Basilica
- St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican City in Rome is the largest Christian Church in the world and is a site of Pilgrimage and Liturgical functions.
- It is regarded as the holiest of all shrines in the Catholic Church because of its location above the original Tomb of St. Peter.
- The Apostolic Palace
- Also known as the Papal Palace, it is the official residence of the Pope.
- The Sistine Chapel
- This is the Chapel inside the Apostolic Palace.
- It is famous for its frescos and the Sistine Chapel Ceiling and The Last Judgement, painted by Michelangelo.
- The Vatican Apostolic Library
- Established in 1475 it is one of the oldest libraries in the world and holds 75,000 Codices, 8,500 Incunabula (early books printed by wooden blocks) and 1.1 million printed books.
Museums
- Vatican Museums
- The Vatican Museums are the Museums of the Vatican City in Rome.
- They contain tens of thousands of art works collected by the Papacy and the Catholic Church for over 1,000 years. The Museums hold some of the most famous Roman Sculptures and Renaissance art works.
Vatican Obelisk
- Vaticano Obelisk
- The Vaticano Obelisk is an Obelisk from Ancient Egypt that now stands in St. Peter’s Square, Vatican City, Rome.
Other Papal Buildings located in Rome
- Basilica of St. John Lateran
- As the Cathedral of Rome, it is considered to be the Mother Church of the Roman Catholic Church, and ranks above all other Catholic Churches, including St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican.
- Although it is located outside the Vatican City, since 1929 it has been included as a property of the Vatican See and is not under the jurisdiction of the city of Rome.
- Lateran Palace (312 CE)
- The Lateran Palace is a Roman Palace, that was used as the principal residence of the Popes between c.312-1309 CE.
- The Palace is now part of the Vatican Historical Museum tracing the history of the Papal States.
Photo and Map: Vatican City