Welcome to Vatican City, the smallest country in the world, both in area and in population. This sovereign city-state, ruled by the pope, is an enclave within Rome and covers just 44 hectares. It is the administrative centre of the Catholic Church and was created in 1929 by the Lateran Treaty with the Kingdom of Italy. Since the end of the Avignon Papacy, the popes have mainly lived here, in the Apostolic Palace. Within its walls lie St Peter's Basilica, the Sistine Chapel and the Vatican Museums, home to some of the world's most famous paintings and sculptures. Let us begin at the great basilica.
St. Peter's Basilica
Photo: Alvesgaspar · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia CommonsBefore you stands St Peter's Basilica, the largest church in the world by interior size. Construction began on 18 April 1506 and was completed in 1626, replacing an older basilica built by Emperor Constantine. Bramante, Michelangelo and Carlo Maderno shaped its design, and Bernini added the piazza and much of its decoration. Catholic tradition holds that Saint Peter is buried here, directly beneath the high altar. And here is a surprise: despite its fame, St Peter's is not a cathedral, because it is not the seat of a bishop.
Sistine Chapel
Photo: The original uploader was Snowdog at Italian Wikipedia . · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia CommonsEnter the Sistine Chapel quietly and look up. Built between 1473 and 1481 for Pope Sixtus the Fourth, it is where cardinals gather in conclave to choose a new pope. Its walls were painted by great Renaissance artists such as Botticelli and Perugino. Then, between 1508 and 1512, Michelangelo painted the ceiling, a work that changed the course of Western art. Years later, after the Sack of Rome, he returned to paint The Last Judgment on the altar wall, between 1535 and 1541.
Vatican Museums
Photo: Original: Fabio Mochi Vector: Kaidor · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia CommonsStep into the Vatican Museums, which display treasures collected by the popes over the centuries, from famous Roman sculptures to masterpieces of the Renaissance. They were founded by Pope Julius the Second in the early 16th century. Of roughly 70,000 works, about 20,000 are on display across 24 galleries. Along the route you pass the Raphael Rooms, painted by Raphael, and the visit ends in the most famous room of all, the Sistine Chapel.
St. Peter's Square
Photo: Diliff · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia CommonsYou are standing in St Peter's Square, the great plaza in front of the basilica. At its centre rises an ancient Egyptian obelisk, set up here in 1586. Almost 100 years later, Gian Lorenzo Bernini designed the square, with its massive colonnades, four columns deep, which embrace visitors like the maternal arms of Mother Church. Look for the two fountains: one designed by Carlo Maderno in 1613, and a matching granite fountain built by Bernini in 1675.
Apostolic Palace
Photo: Daderot · CC0 · Wikimedia CommonsRising beside the basilica is the Apostolic Palace, the official residence of the pope. The Vatican calls it the Palace of Sixtus the Fifth, after the pope who built most of its present form. Within its walls are the papal apartments, offices of the Church, chapels, the Vatican Museums and the Vatican Library. The Sistine Chapel, the Raphael Rooms and the Borgia Apartments all belong to it, while other grand halls such as the Pauline Chapel have long remained closed to visitors.
Vatican Gardens
Photo: Stefan Bauer, http://www.ferras.at · CC BY-SA 2.5 · Wikimedia CommonsWander into the Vatican Gardens, which cover about 23 hectares, roughly half of the whole country. These private gardens, owned by the pope, were laid out during the Renaissance and Baroque eras and are decorated with fountains and sculptures. Stone walls enclose them on three sides, and the highest point lies 60 metres above sea level. Among the trees you will find buildings such as Vatican Radio and the Governor's Palace. In 2014, Pope Francis opened the gardens to the public, with visits accompanied by a guide.
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