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Vatican City

Vatikan, Vatican City
05.05.2012

Vatican City, officially known as the Vatican City State, is a small city-state located within the city of Rome, Italy. It is the smallest country in the world, spanning just over 100 acres and with a population of around 1,000 people. Despite its size, Vatican City holds great significance as the spiritual and administrative center of the Catholic Church.

The history of Vatican City dates back to the fourth century when the Emperor Constantine built a basilica on the site believed to be the burial place of Saint Peter, one of the twelve apostles of Jesus. Over the centuries, the Vatican has been a place of pilgrimage, power, and intrigue as the seat of the papacy.

Today, Vatican City is not only a religious center but also a cultural and artistic hub. It is home to some of the most iconic and influential works of art, including the Sistine Chapel ceiling painted by Michelangelo and the stunning St. Peter's Basilica, designed by renowned architects such as Bramante, Michelangelo, and Bernini.

Visitors can explore the Vatican Museums, which house a vast collection of art and artifacts from ancient civilizations to modern times. The highlight of the museum is the Sistine Chapel, where visitors can admire Michelangelo's masterpiece and the frescoes depicting scenes from the Bible.

One of the most significant events that take place in Vatican City is the election of a new pope. Thousands of people gather in St. Peter's Square to witness the white smoke rising from the Sistine Chapel chimney, signaling the selection of the new leader of the Catholic Church.

In addition to its religious and cultural significance, Vatican City is also a sovereign state with its own government, currency, and postal system. It has diplomatic relations with many countries and plays an important role in international affairs.

A visit to Vatican City is a must for anyone interested in art, history, and religion. It is a unique and fascinating destination that offers a glimpse into the rich and complex history of the Catholic Church and the world's smallest country.


The Vatican City, one of the most sacred places in Christendom, attests to a great history and a formidable spiritual venture. A unique collection of artistic and architectural masterpieces lie within the boundaries of this small state. At its centre is St Peter's Basilica, with its double colonnade and a circular piazza in front and bordered by palaces and gardens. The basilica, erected over the tomb of St Peter the Apostle, is the largest religious building in the world, the fruit of the combined genius of Bramante, Raphael, Michelangelo, Bernini and Maderno.

Vatican City ( ), officially the Vatican City State (Italian: Stato della Città del Vaticano; Latin: Status Civitatis Vaticanae), is a landlocked independent country, city-state, microstate, and enclave within Rome, Italy. It became independent from Italy in 1929 with the Lateran Treaty, and it is a distinct territory under "full ownership, exclusive dominion, and sovereign authority and jurisdiction" of the Holy See, itself a sovereign entity under international law, which maintains the city-state's temporal power and governance, diplomatic, and spiritual independence.With an area of 49 hectares (121 acres) and as of 2023 a population of about 764, it is the smallest state in the world both by area and by population. As governed by the Holy See, Vatican City State is an ecclesiastical or sacerdotal-monarchical state ruled by the Pope, who is the bishop of Rome and head of the Catholic Church. The highest state functionaries are all Catholic clergy of various origins. After the Avignon Papacy (1309–1377) the popes have mainly resided at the Apostolic Palace within what is now Vatican City, although at times residing instead in the Quirinal Palace in Rome or elsewhere. The Vatican is also a metonym for the Holy See.

The Holy See dates back to early Christianity and is the principal episcopal see of the Catholic Church, which has approximately 1.329 billion baptised Catholics in the world as of 2018 in the Latin Church and 23 Eastern Catholic Churches. The independent state of Vatican City, on the other hand, came into existence on 11 February 1929 by the Lateran Treaty between the Holy See and Italy, which spoke of it as a new creation, not as a vestige of the much larger Papal States (756–1870), which had previously encompassed much of Central Italy.

Vatican City contains religious and cultural sites such as St. Peter's Basilica, the Sistine Chapel, the Vatican Apostolic Library, and the Vatican Museums. They feature some of the world's most famous paintings and sculptures. The unique economy of Vatican City is supported financially by donations from the faithful, by the sale of postage stamps and souvenirs, fees for admission to museums, and sales of publications. Vatican City has no taxes, and items are duty-free.

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