The sovereign city state of Vatican City was established by the Lateran Agreement between the Italian state and the Roman Catholic Church in 1929. It is located on the right bank of the Tiber in the western part of Rome.
Table of Contents:
1. Vatican City Sights
2. The Vatican State and its citizenship
3. Vatican Museum of History
4. Pharmacy
5. Fire station
6. Library
7. Vatican Railroad
8. Supermarket/Grocery
9. Vatican’s General Merchandise Store
10. Post Office
11. Gas Station
12. Interesting Facts about the Vatican
13. The Pope
14. Location of the Vatican City on the Map
The Vatican State is the tiniest country in the world and houses all the highest governing bodies of the Roman Catholic Church, including the seat of the Pope.
Its area is only 0.44 square kilometers. The population in Vatican City is diverse and includes one thousand people.
The name of the city-state comes from the name of the hill on which it is located – Vaticanus. The perimeter of the Vatican City is surrounded by medieval walls.
On the premises of the Vatican the following are located:
- palace complexes
- Vatican Gardens
- art galleries
- museums
- various administrative buildings
Officially, the Vatican’s border with Italy runs through St. Peter’s Square. But it is not marked in any way on the ground.
According to the principle of extraterritoriality, a number of sites on the Italian side belong to the Vatican State. These include:
- Basilica of San Giovanni in Laterano
- radio station Santa Maria di Galleria
- the papal summer residence at Castel Gandolfo.
In addition, some educational institutions are also under the authority of the Vatican State. Among them:
- Pope Urban’s University, founded in 1927.
- The University of St. Thomas Aquinas, founded in 1909, and some others.
What Sights Does the State of Vatican City Have?
St. Peter’s Square and Cathedral in Vatican City
Every year thousands of travelers and pilgrims go to Vatican City. All of them wish to dream of the papal blessing and also to see with their own eyes the rarest monuments of architecture and history. A 25-meter Egyptian obelisk stands in the center of the largest square in Rome – St. Peter’s Square.
- The size of the square is 340 by 240 meters.
- The rarest monument of the Renaissance period in the square is the eponymous St. Peter’s Cathedral, designed by Donato Bramante.
- The 284-column colonnade surrounding the square was realized by Giovanni Lorenzo Bernini.
- The facade of the cathedral is the design of Carlo Maderna.
- St. Peter’s Cathedral is crowned by Michelangelo Buanarroti’s masterpiece.
- St. Peter’s Cathedral is considered the greatest work of world architecture.
The palaces of the Vatican State constitute the largest museum complex in the world. Their multiple galleries, exhibition halls, and courtyards house priceless works of art.
This abundance was accumulated over many hundreds of years by any Roman pontiff. The Vatican Library houses the richest collection of books and ancient manuscripts. The Sistine Hall contains a manuscript Bible from the 4th century.
In order to avoid long lines at the entrance to St. Peter’s Basilica, buy tickets in advance online here.
Sistine Chapel at the Vatican
The Sistine Chapel was built by architect G. de Dolci in the late fifteenth century on the orders of Pope Sixtus IV. Inside, the dome of the Chapel is painted with iconic frescoes by Michelangelo, a highlight of the Vatican State.
The Sistine Chapel is available for visits at all times. Apart from the time when the procedure for selecting a new pope takes place.
In addition, if there is no decision, the color of the smoke is black, and if there is one and the pope is elected, it is white. In addition, if there is no decision, the color of the smoke is black, and if there already is, and the pope is elected, it is white.
Vatican City Gardens
The gardens of Vatican City are some of the most protected places in the world. They are the most picturesque gardens in Europe and a place where only a select few can relax in peace and greenery. The gardens are cared for at all times by 20 gardeners.
There are many fountains here, but the most striking is the Galleon Fountain, built in the 17th century. It is a scaled-down duplicate of an Italian galleon that fires water from 16 cannons. Pope Urban VII popularized this work of art with a very wise expression that translates from Latin as: “The pope’s war machine shoots not fire, but water, which extinguishes the flames of war.”
Vatican City and its Citizenship
Acquiring citizenship of the Vatican State is not easy at all. As of 2013, among the 1100 inhabitants, only 50 percent had Vatican citizenship, including 61 cardinals and all members of the Swiss Guard. Moreover, any cardinal who arrives there is granted a temporary residence permit. Citizenship is given only to the highest ranks of the Catholic Church from the Pope’s entourage.
Curiously enough, all Vatican passports are diplomatic. Citizens of the Vatican state in any country are treated as diplomats of the church.
Other residents of the Vatican State may live on its territory, but they have somewhat limited access to Vatican stores and shopping centers. It should be noted that all citizens of the Vatican State have dual citizenship – of the country in which they were born. The other 3,000 Vatican employees are residents of Rome.
Vatican Museum of History
This is more a museum of the military history of the Vatican city-state than general history. In the weapons department, you can see various collections of weapons, from ancient sabers from Venice to muskets made by the Remington factory.
Pharmacy
What you need to know:
- Located just outside St. Anne’s Gate, the Vatican’s pharmacy is the oldest in the world. It was established in 1277.
- It sells rare medicines that are sometimes difficult to find in Italian pharmacies.
- A number of medicines are still in different packages.
- Sells approximately 6,000 prescriptions every month.
Fire station
The palace hasn’t had a fire in over a century, but the Vatican has 20 firefighters on duty 24 hours a day, with three fire engines at their disposal.
Library
The library houses more than 1,000,000 books and an equal number of manuscripts. The Pope, of course, has the right to borrow any book he likes for any period of time.
Vatican Railroad
It is probably the shortest railroad line in the world. It has no exact timetable and is only 900 meters long. However, it is combined with Italian railroads and the special carriage for dad has a kitchen, balcony and bedroom.
Supermarket/Grocery Store
There is only one supermarket in Vatican City, and the right to shop there is available only to people who have a special DIRESCO pass, granted by the governor of the city. It is not surprising that it is quite popular among relatives of Vatican residents, who can shop there, because the prices are much lower than in Roman stores. Familiar to many under the name “Annona”, the supermarket is located near Via San Giovanni di Dio, just behind the pharmacy.
Opening hours:
- weekdays from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Saturday until noon
The Vatican General Merchandise Store
It was recently moved into the former train station. There you can find a wide range of products from the most modern TVs and expensive hand watches to electronic cigarettes, which are 20-30 percent more affordable than outside the Vatican.
Post Office
The postal department was established in the Vatican City in the 14th century. It is a commercial and quite profitable organization, mainly because of the sale of commemorative stamps.
The post office delivers about 8,000,000,000 letters and postcards each year and has a reputation for working much better than the Italian post office.
Gas Stations
There are a number of gas stations in Vatican City, but the most popular is the one south of St. Peter’s Square. Tax-free fuel is 30 percent more affordable here than in Italy. Only those with special permits are allowed to fill up here.
Interesting Facts about the Vatican
- Area: 44 hectares
- Length of the state border – 3 km
- It takes about 60 minutes to get around the Vatican City.
- Population: 1100 permanent, of which – 95 percent – men.
- Official language: Latin
- ATMs: Vatican ATMs are the only ones in the world where the main language used on the screen is Latin.
- Time zone: Central European.
- Phone code: 0-03906.
- There are no traffic lights in Vatican City
- Citizens of the Vatican State do not pay Italian taxes, even if they live in Rome
- No airplanes have the right to violate Vatican airspace.
- Vatican City has a personalized .va internet domain territory.
- Official website: www.vatican.va
The Pope
The Pope is the head of the Church and the successor of St. Peter – the most significant symbol of Catholicism for more than a billion believers in the whole world. He’s also the “CEO” of the church, responsible for order within the 2,000-year-old organization. And, after all, he is the head of the Vatican – the city-state – the property of the church. This is a formidable responsibility.
Nationalities of the Popes
The list of 264 popes, successors of St. Peter ( 262 to be exact, because Benedict IX was elected three times during the troubled Middle Ages for the church ), includes:
- 205 Italians ( 106 Romans)
- 19 French
- 14 Greeks
- 8 Syrians
- 6 Germans
- 3 Africans
- 2 Spaniards
- 1 Austrian, 1 Pole, 1 Palestinian, 1 Englishman and 1 Dutchman
Answers to the most popular questions about the Pope
Who has been pope the longest?
Pius IX led the organization for 32 years. The shortest period of time, 4 days, in this position was Pope Stephen II, who died before his coronation due to an attack of apoplexy.
What does the pope eat?
The food is prepared for the pope by 5 sisters of the law, who, on his order, prepare a special menu. For example, Jan Paul II loved elementary Polish dishes. He systematically consumed dumplings and zurek for lunch, and for dessert – babka pie. Most of the vegetables and dairy products came from the summer residence of the Pope – Castel Gandolfo. Whereas most of the biscuits and cardinals can be spotted in the best Roman restaurants, it is hard for the Pope to imagine such luxury.
Addresses of the most popular Roman restaurants among Vatican citizens:
- II Mozzicone (Borgio Rio 180; tel. 06 686 1500). Famous for excellent traditional Roman cuisine like fettuccine al ragu, for example.
- Velando (Borgo V. Horio 26; tel. 06 6880 9955). Cardinals’ favorite restaurant serving modern Italian cuisine, such as strawberry risotto or vegetable strudel.
- Taverna Angelica (Piazza Amerigo Capponi 6; tel.06 687 4514). This restaurant specializes in fish, and you can also find here a large selection of cheeses.
Who makes the clothes for the pope?
Before the next pope is elected at the conclave, three white garments are made in different sizes: small, medium, large. The closet for the new pope is tailored and fitted as quickly as possible.
For many years, the official sewing shop was Ditta A. Gammatelli, located directly in the center of Rome. Local craftsmen sewed all the elements of the papal closet with their own hands. The new Pope Benedict XVI changed the workshop and now his closet is made by Raniero Mancinelli, who has been sewing clothes for 4 decades.
What does a day in the life of the Pope look like?
The day starts at 5.30 and the pope is dressed with the help of his personal valet. At the end of prayer in the private chapel, the pope performs a service for the closest associates and invited guests.
The start of breakfast is around 8 o’clock. Similar to most Italians and residents of Rome, the pope adores Italian-style coffee, and composes the menu according to his wishes. For example, Jan Paul II loved sausages for breakfast, and Benedict XIII often ordered a dish of eggs, which in his honor was called eggs Benedictovski.
The plan of the day includes significant meetings with many bishops who travel to the Apostolic Palace from different countries of the world for the meetings called ad limina, which occur every 5 years. During these meetings they visit the Vatican and meet the Pope for an audience. The pope also organizes systematic meetings with the Roman clergy.
- The lunches are held around noon and usually have a working character, combined with meetings with the Roman administration. Not surprisingly, Italian pasta is often served for lunch.
- The time from 2 to 4 p.m. is usually reserved for siesta, a typical afternoon leisure time in southern countries. The Pope can, of course, work during these hours, as Jan Paul II did. But there is little point in relying on the help of colleagues at this time of day.
- Dinner is around 18.00. The Pope may dine alone, like Pope Pius XII, or in the company of invited guests, like Jan Paul I and II.
- Around 11 p.m., the pope goes to bed after evening prayer.
The Pope-Mobile
Thanks to this one of the most famous and adored cars by many people, hundreds of thousands of faithful have the chance to see the Pope live, if only for a few minutes.
The first car of this type was created by Land Rover after the 1982 assassination attempt on Pope John Paul II. Some time later Mercedes Benz designed a car with bulletproof windows protecting the pope from all sides, so that the Holy Father could bless the pandemonium of Catholics.
At the present time in different countries of the world are waiting for the arrival of the head of the Catholic Church about 20 pope-mobiles, of which 6 are always located in the garages of the state Vatican.
What is the fuel consumption of a pope-mobile?
Fuel consumption is not the most important characteristic when talking about a dad-mobile – safety is much more important. Of course, the consumption depends on the model. However, if you calculate that the average weight of such a car is about 4 tons, you can assume that the consumption will be comparable to the Hummer H2 (which weighs approximately the same), or more than 20 liters per 100 km.
What is the registration number of a pope-mobile?
Any pope-mobile has the same registration number: SCV 1, which stands for Stato delli Citta del Vaticano (Vatican City-State). The license plate has a white background color with red letters; all other license plates have black letters.
Facts and Figures about the Pope Cars
In addition to Land Rover and Mercedes, cars for the pope are produced by:
- Fiat
- Renault
- Peugeot
- General Motors
- Toyota
- Volkswagen
How much do they cost? Nothing as they are all manufacturer’s presents.
Until the Popes started driving around in armored cars, they were driven around in standard production models, a number of which are on display in the the Vatican Museum of Automobiles.
Almost as soon as the automobile industry began, the Vatican State began using a number of magnificent models. Pope Pius XI was a fan of the Isotta Fraschini limousine, and his successor Pius XII had several Cadillacs designed especially for him, one of which even accommodated the papal throne.
Pius XII was also presented with Bianchi, Fiat 525 and Graham-Paige models. There is nothing strange in the fact that having such cars, the Pope often shouted at his chauffeur: “Velocita, Velocita!” (faster, faster).
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Ferarri, on the occasion of the 26th anniversary of his accession to the throne, presented Jan Paul II with a red model of the fastest Formula 1 car in the world – F2004, created in 1 to 5 scale.
The Vatican State and the Swiss Guard
The Swiss Guard was formed in 1506 by Pope Julius II (Giuliano della Rovere). He liked the Swiss army. For his own protection he sent out 150 Swiss soldiers. Julius II, nicknamed the Combatant among his entourage, even sent a guard to fight the French who had invaded Italy before its unification.
The Guard was almost entirely destroyed during the sacking of Rome by German and Spanish mercenaries sent by the monarch Charles V in 1527.
During the attack on the Vatican, during its defense on the steps of St. Peter’s Basilica fell 147 guardsmen, which was equal to 3/4 of the not so long ago increased staff, among whom was their chief together with his wife, who witnessed the death of her husband, took up his arms and fought until he died at the entrance to the basilica.
The surviving guardsmen helped Pope Clement VII and thirteen cardinals escape safely to the Castel Sant’Angelo.
The magnificent brown suits were invented by a Vatican seamstress commissioned by Benedict XV in 1914. She was probably inspired to design such original costumes by one of Raffaello Santi’s images, which have similar elements.
On the anniversary of the heroic defense of the Vatican on May 6, 1527, ceremonies are held to induct new members into the Guard, who in front of the whole company take the oath of allegiance to the Pope.
A candidate for the Guard must be at least 18 years old and not older than 25 years old. Their height is approximately 180 centimeters. Upon enrollment, recruits are trained in sword and halabard combat, like their predecessors from century to century.
Of course, they are also trained in the most modern weapons, as well as the most advanced anti-terrorist techniques. While patrolling the Vatican, the Swiss Guard does not carry firearms. This ban was introduced by Pope Paul VI in 1970.
The Vatican State uses only halabards to guard the capital of all the apostles. In addition to an honorable profession and a rather prestigious entry in the work book, guardsmen have a fairly decent salary, which is about 4000 €.
In order to avoid long queues at the entrance to St. Peter’s Basilica, buy tickets in advance online here.
Location of Vatican City on the Map
