Top 10 Facts about Vatican City

By Marek.69 – Wikimedia

Top 10 Facts about Vatican City

The Vatican City State is the Holy See’s independent city-state within Rome, Italy. Also known as The Vatican, this state became independent from Italy in 1929 through the Lateran Treaty.

It is a distinct territory that is fully under the sovereign jurisdiction of the Holy See. This means that the city is in charge of its diplomatic and spiritual independence.

There are about 825 people in this city-state and it sits on 121 acres of land. This is the smallest state in the entire world by population and land size.

The Pope is the head of state, who is also the head of the Catholic church. Italian is the official language although Latin is also spoken. There is an ATM with Latin instructions.

Let’s explore more facts about Vatican City.

1. It is younger than you think

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Vatican City is one of the youngest states in the world. It is also the only state that is within a city in a country.

This country was born on the 11^th of February 1929. Italina Prime minister, Benito Mussolini and Pope Pius XI signed the Lateran treaty. Italy paid the church $92 million after the treaty was signed.

After the treaty was signed, the state was officially known as the Vatican City. It was named after Vatican Hill which also borrows the name after the Etruscan settlement.

The Italian name for this state is Stato della Città del Vaticano.

2. It is the smallest country in the world

This is the most spiritual state in the world. It also houses the world’s most famous religious artworks.

As the world’s smallest country, to put it in perspective, Vatican City is smaller than Central Park in New York City.

Despite its size, the country has its own currency, post office, radio station, flag, and anthem. Its currency has the Pope’s head on it.    

An interesting fact about this state is that it attracts more than 5 million tourists annually.

In less than an hour, one can take a tour of the entire Vatican City open to the public.

3. The Vatican City has no prison

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One unique fact about Vatican City is that it is the only country that lacks a prison and a hospital. There are also no embassies within Vatican City.

It has its passport, licence plate, internet domain and a national football team. The pope’s summer residence in Castel Gandolfo which is 20 kilometres outside of Rome.

There is a train that connects Rome to Castel Gandolfo. This castle is open to the public where one can relax in the papal gardens.  

The villas are less busy and have an impressive collection of artefacts.

4. It is a city surrounded by walls

Like the ancient city of Jerusalem, Vatican City is surrounded by walls. This makes it the only country in the entire world that has a wall around its territory.

The walls were not built to act as a boundary, they have been here even before the country was born. These walls are porous and one can go in and out of them.

While the country may be surrounded by walls, it is open to the public that wants to stroll through St Peter’s Square.  

5. The Museums at Vatican City have the largest art collection in the world

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The Vatican museum was founded by Pope Julius II in the early 16th century. This museum has one of the largest and greatest art collections in the entire world.

There are about 70,000 works in the museum. Not all of them are on display, only 20,000 has been displayed.

Works by great artists such as Michelangelo can be seen here. The painted Sistine ceiling, Raphael Rooms and the Museo Pio-Clementino are some of the highlights in this museum.

Other than famous paintings, there are popular sculptures and other impressive artworks that were collected by the Popes throughout the centuries.

About two million art pieces are spread through St Peter’s Basilica and the Vatican Museums. There are also ancient Egyptian mummies alongside works of the famous post-impressionist painter, Vincent Van Gogh.

6. The Vatican City is built over an ancient cemetery

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During the Roman era, the land where the Vatican City is right now was used as a cemetery. The Roman city was destroyed by fire in 64 AD.

Emperor Nero blamed the fire on Christians and had them burnt alive. One of the Christians that was murdered was St. Peter who was the disciple of Jesus Christ.

St. Peter was buried in a shallow grave on Vatican Hill. Emperor Constantine built the original Basilica on top of the abandoned cemetery in the 4^th century.

It is believed that he built the church around St Peter’s grave, such that it laid at the centre. That is how it came to be known as St. Peter’s Basilica.

7. It was originally not a home for the Popes

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It was not until the 6^th century that the first Pope lived in the Vatican. They had their official residence outside of Rome and other urban areas.

Some of the Pope’s residence was in Santa Sabina Basilica and Santa Maria Maggiore basilica in the Esquilino Hill, the Quirinale.

When Rome was deemed unsafe for the Popes, they moved to Avignon, southern France.  They returned in 1377 and officially resided in Vatican City.

8. The Pope has Swiss guards

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135 Swiss soldiers are known as the Pontifical Swiss Guard. They were first hired in 1506 by Pope Julius II who needed personal protection from mercenaries.

Since then, the Swiss guards have been the personal protection for all Popes to date.

They have colourful striped uniforms and have basic Swiss military training. Not anyone can join the Swiss guard, one has to be male, between 19 and 330 years old, and 5’ 8’’ tall. One must also be a Christian and must have completed basic military training.

9. There is no permanent citizenship at the Vatican City

As much as the Vatican City is a state, there is no permanent or born citizen in this state. The citizenship of this state is granted on the grounds of appointment to work in a certain capacity in the service of the Holy See.

Once the appointment ceases, the citizenship is stripped away. The citizenship is extended to spouses, parents, and other relatives as long as they live with the citizen.

Therefore, the entire population of Vatican City is made up of immigrants. The population here is mainly men, there are a few women.

10. Another name for Vatican City is the Holy See

The Vatican City, which represents the Catholic church at the United Nations, is known as the Holy See.

This is because the Holy See is regarded as the legal entity that controls the Catholic Church Worldwide. Vatican City on the other hand only controls the nation.  

The Vatican license plates are marked with the letters SVC that stands for The State-Vatican City.