Portal:Vatican City

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Vatican City (/ˈvætɪkənˈsɪti/ ^ⓘ), officially the Vatican City State (Italian: Stato della Città del Vaticano; Latin: Status Civitatis Vaticanae), is a sovereign country, city-state, microstate, and enclave surrounded by, and historically a part of, Rome, Italy. It became independent from Italy in 1929 with the Lateran Treaty, and is a distinct territory under "full ownership, exclusive dominion, and sovereign authority and jurisdiction" of the Holy See, which is itself a sovereign entity under international law, maintaining the city-state's temporal power, governance, diplomatic, and spiritual independence. The Vatican is also a metonym for the pope, the Holy See, and the Roman Curia. The country has the world's smallest land area and the smallest population, with 764 citizens as of 2023.

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. It is also the second-least populated capital in the world. 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. (Full article...)

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The Vatican Gardens (Italian: Giardini Vaticani) in Vatican City are urban gardens and parks which cover more than half of the Vatican territory in the South and Northeast. There are some buildings such as Radio Vatican within the gardens.

The gardens cover approximately 23 hectares (57 acres) which is most of the Vatican Hill. The highest point is 60 metres (200 ft) above mean sea level. Stone walls bound the area in the North, South and West.

The gardens and parks were established during the Renaissance and Baroque era and are decorated with fountains and sculptures. There are several springs under the earth which as of 2009 are not in use. There is a wide variety of flora, and the area is considered a biotope.

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The Vatican post office has operated its own postal service and issued its own postage stamps since 1929. Pictured is the stamp vending machine of the Vatican Postal Service.

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The following are images from various Vatican City-related articles on Wikipedia.

Image 1Territory of Vatican City State according to the Lateran Treaty (from Vatican City)
Image 2The Little Flower, Saint Therese of Lisieux is the official Patroness of the gardens. (from Gardens of Vatican City)
Image 3Cesare Orsenigo (left, with Hitler and Ribbentrop), nuncio to Germany, also served as de facto nuncio to Poland. (from Vatican City during World War II)
Image 4Palace of the Governorate of Vatican City State (from Gardens of Vatican City)
Image 5St. Peter's Basilica is one of the most renowned works of Renaissance architecture. (from Vatican City)
Image 6An early interpretation of the relative locations of the circus, and the medieval and current Basilicas of St. Peter (from Vatican City)
Image 7View of St. Peter's Square from the top of Michelangelo's dome (from Vatican City)
Image 8The Seal of Vatican City. Note the use of the Italian language. (from Vatican City)
Image 9Armenian cross monument (Khatchkar) inside the Vatican Gardens (from Gardens of Vatican City)
Image 10Bernardino Nogara, the chief Vatican financier during the war (from Vatican City during World War II)
Image 11Image of the United Nations member state borders on a map (from Vatican City)
Image 12The Apostolic Palace (Palazzo Apostolico), the official residence of the Pope. Here, Benedict XVI is at the window marked by a maroon banner hanging from the windowsill at centre. (from Vatican City)
Image 13Map of Vatican City (from Geography of Vatican City)
Image 14The Vatican obelisk in St. Peter's Square was brought to Rome from Egypt by Caligula. (from Vatican City)
Image 15Members of the Canadian Royal 22nd Regiment in audience with Pope Pius XII, following the 1944 Liberation of Rome. (from Vatican City during World War II)
Image 16The Vatican's post office was established on 11 February 1929. (from Vatican City)
Image 17A view of the Gardens of Vatican City (from Geography of Vatican City)
Image 18The Italian peninsula in 1796. The Papal States in central Italy are coloured purple. (from Vatican City)
Image 19The shortest national railway system in the world (from Vatican City)
Image 20Vatican Gardens (from Gardens of Vatican City)
Image 21Empress Saint Helena of Constantinople carrying the One True Cross laying the grounds for the gardens using the sacred soil from Mount Calvary. (from Gardens of Vatican City)
Image 22Vatican Gardens (from Gardens of Vatican City)
Image 23The crowds of tourists in St. Peter's Square are a target for pickpockets. (from Vatican City)
Image 24A souvenir shop on the roof of St. Peter's Basilica (from Economy of Vatican City)
Image 25The Ingresso di Sant'Anna, an entrance to Vatican City from Italy (from Vatican City)
Image 26Gendarmerie car (from Vatican City)
Image 27President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama meet with Pope Benedict XVI at the Vatican on July 10, 2009. (from Women in Vatican City)
Image 28Vatican Museums' "New Wing", built by Raffaele Stern (1774–1820) (from Vatican City)
Image 29Palace of the Governorate of Vatican City State (from Vatican City)
Image 30The Vatican City came into existence in 1929, a decade before the start of World War II (from Vatican City during World War II)
Image 31Musicians of the British Army's 38th (Irish) Brigade playing in front of St. Peter's Basilica in June 1944 (from Vatican City)
Image 32An ATM in Vatican City with Latin instructions (from Economy of Vatican City)
Image 33One possible modern interpretation (from Vatican City)
Image 34Enlargeable, detailed map of Vatican City (from Geography of Vatican City)
Image 35A monument to Fr. Maximilian Kolbe, among the estimated 3,000 members (18%) of the Polish clergy who were killed by the Nazis; of these, 1,992 died in concentration camps. (from Vatican City during World War II)
Image 36A guard of the Vatican at his sentry box (from Vatican City)
Image 37Map of Vatican City, highlighting notable buildings and the Vatican gardens (from Vatican City)
Image 38Part of the Vatican Gardens (from Gardens of Vatican City)
Image 39The crowds of tourists in St. Peter's Square are a target for pickpockets. (from Crime in Vatican City)
Image 40Pope Francis in Vatican City, 2021 (from Vatican City)
Image 41Pay phone in the Vatican City (from Vatican City)
Image 42Polish ambassador to the Vatican, Kazimierz Papée, was critical of Pius XII's pre-war mediation efforts. (from Vatican City during World War II)
Image 43The Fountain of the Eagle "Fontana dell'Aquilone" in the Vatican Gardens (from Gardens of Vatican City)

Did you know?

... that the Second Vatican Council tried to undo the latinization of Eastern Catholic liturgy?
... that the Vatican selected Mary Milligan in 1987 to be one of only three U.S. experts to assist the International Synod of Bishops on the Laity in Rome?
... that Sans's boss theme, "Megalovania", was played at the Vatican as part of a circus act during an audience with Pope Francis?
... that a Vatican Hebrew manuscript has been used as a source for analysing and emending modern editions of the Palestinian Talmud?
... that the final silent film directed by Giulia Cassini Rizzotto was partly funded by the Vatican and featured Italian aristocrats?
... that sport in Vatican City has included cricket, calcio fiorentino, and taekwondo?