Presentation of the Vatican: Micro-State and Spiritual Role
Located on the hill of the same name, the Vatican is the current seat of the papacy and the Catholic Church.
This micro-state, enclaved within Rome behind walls since the Lateran Treaty of 1929, is governed by the Vatican City for temporal affairs and by the Holy See for spiritual matters. With an area of 0.439 km², it is the smallest state in the world, with a population of 764 inhabitants in 2023, making it also the least populated. Beyond its main territory, the Vatican owns buildings and lands, such as palaces and basilicas. The Pope, head of both entities, holds absolute power (executive, legislative, and judicial), making this state an absolute monarchy, elective and by divine right, currently led by Pope Francis, elected on March 13, 2013. The Vatican also has its own station, Radio Vatican, broadcasting in multiple languages.
Visiting the Vatican: Access to St. Peter’s Square, Basilica, and Museums
St. Peter’s Square and St. Peter’s Basilica, located on its territory, are freely accessible, provided a strict dress code is respected. The Vatican Museums, housed in part of the Apostolic Palaces, require an entrance ticket.
Entry into Vatican City: Conditions and Exceptions Access to the city itself (including the pharmacy and shops) requires a special pass, reserved for residents or workers, available from the Ufficio Permessi di Porta Sant’Anna upon presentation of a valid identity document. However, the Church of Saint Anne remains accessible without a pass.
Heart of the Vatican, the Saint Peter's Basilica is a special and essential building in the Christian world, built on the tomb of Saint Peter around 320 AD. Michelangelo, Raphael, Bramante and many other artists contributed to its reconstruction in the 16th century.
The Sistine Chapel, located in the heart of the Vatican, is famous for its monumental frescoes, including the vault and Judgment Day by Michelangelo. This masterpiece of the Renaissance, commissioned by Pope Sixtus IV, also serves as a setting for papal conclaves. The visit, included in the itinerary of the Vatican Museums, requires early booking due to its immense popularity.
In addition to the famous Sistine Chapel and the Raphael's Rooms, the Vatican Palaces house the collections of the twelve Vatican Museums, forming one of the largest and most important collections in the world, works of various natures and epochs, including Renaissance, Greco-Roman, Egyptian and Etruscan antiquities, etc.
The majestic colonnade of Bernini with its four rows embraces the visitor here to accompany him to the largest basilica in the Christian world: the St. Peter’s basilica and the heart of the Vatican City.
Heart of the Vatican, the Saint Peter's Basilica is a special and essential building in the Christian world, built on the tomb of Saint Peter around 320 AD. Michelangelo, Raphael, Bramante and many other artists contributed to its reconstruction in the 16th century.
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