Have you ever heard of a
country where you can cover the entire country on foot? Yes, it is there in the
world where you can only travel on foot and you cannot ride a car.
It is the world’s smallest country
located in Europe. It is the Vatican, where the Pope, the most respected person of Roman
Catholic sect of Christianity resides and governs.
In terms of the Lateran Treaty
(1929), it is a distinct territory “under full ownership, exclusive dominion
sovereign authority and jurisdiction” of the Holy See. The state by itself is a
sovereign entity of international law which maintains temporal, diplomatic, and spiritual independence.
In other words, the entire
administration of the Vatican is separate and not in any way connected with the
decision of the parliament of Italy but governed by the Holy See.
The highest state
functionaries are all Catholic clergy of various national origins.
A small area separated with
Italy by River Tiber covering an area of 0.19 square miles is the smallest
independent state. The total population of the entire state is 825. Can anyone
imagine a country so thinly populated?
A bridge on River Tiber
connects Vatican City State with Rome and a tourist can only walk down from the
road of Rome to the state crossing a gate.
Some Amazing Facts about
Vatican
Ø It
is the country for the citizens of the world. No one needs to cross through any
immigration process and get stamped in the passport for entering the state
Ø Vatican
has a post office located in the central arena which has a separate zip code
Ø Vatican
has only 300 meters railway track for carrying goods and not passengers and
there is only one railway station called Citta Vaticano
Ø Highest
number of tourists which is about five and half million visits Vatican every
year for religious, cultural, historical, and political significance
Ø Vatican
has its own currency that can simultaneously be used in Vatican and Italy but
usage is little as most of the tourists are day visitors
Ø There
is an Automated Teller Machine (ATM) in the Vatican, where one of the instruction
languages of operation are Latin
Ø Vatican
has its own army who are deployed to guard the entire state including palaces,
museum and chapel
Ø Vatican
has its own football team which takes part in European games
Ø An
average Vatican resident consumes the highest quantum wine which is around 54.26
liters every year
Ø Vatican
has an elevated escape passage called Passetto di Borgo which leads to Castel
Sant’Angelo on the banks of River Tiber
Ø Vatican
has been considered as the only country which is totally a World Heritage site
Sight Seeing of Vatican
Saint Peter’s Basilica-Papal
Basilica of Saint Peter in the Vatican is a church built in Renaissance style in
the city. The church is designed principally by Donato Bramante, Michelangelo,
Carlo Maderno and Gian Lorenzo. It has been considered the most renowned
work of Renaissance architecture and the largest church in the world.
Sistine Chapel-Sistine
Chapel, in the Apostolic Palace, is the official residence of the Pope. Originally
known as Cappella Magna, the chapel serves as a religious and functionary papal
activity. The fresco painting of the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel and the famous
painting “The Last Judgment” by Michelangelo draws the attention of the tourists
for years. The other paintings include the lives of Moses and Jesus Christ by
famous painters who depict the contemporary artworks of the Renaissance period.
Vatican Museums-Vatican
Museums, with around seventy thousand artwork, of which around twenty thousand
artworks under the display, depict the excellence of art and sculpture of the
Renaissance period. It is the third-highest visited museum with fifty-four
galleries with masterpieces of Roman art have been considered as one of the largest museums in the world.
How to Reach
The Vatican City State is
connected through any mode of public transport including buses, underground
trains, and cabs from any part of Rome.
Tourists arriving from
foreign countries have to disembark either at any international airport or at
Termini Railway Station and avail local transport system.
Boarding & Lodging
There are umpteen numbers of
hotels in Rome suiting to the budget for lodging including few hotels within
walking distance of Vatican City State.
Restaurants and food joints
are available within the state as also outside the state. Considering the
tourists from all around the world, the restaurant caters to various types of
cuisines with different types of tastes.
Entry Process
There are tickets required
for entering the Sistine Chapel and Vatican Museums. The tickets can be
purchased from the counters or through an online process. The tickets are also
being sold by local vendors. Tourists can avail of personal guides or audio
guides, suiting to their language.
In case of online purchase
of tickets, the tourists can avail the facility of “Skip the Line”.
My Experience
It had been an incredible
experience of having visited the smallest country of the world and that too the seat of the highest clergy of Christianity. Since it was a Friday, we did not
have the opportunity to see the Pope, who greeted the visitors every Wednesday and
Sunday, based on his availability at Rome.
The fresco paintings on the
ceiling and walls created by the greatest artists of all times bewildered me. I
remained astonished that how a person could draw on the ceiling and that too at
such a height. The combination of colours, the lively portraits, and the
realistic sculptures was exemplary creations of the artistic skills of human
beings.
A visit to Vatican City
State, during the visit to Western Europe, would definitely roll back our
knowledge of history during the Renaissance period.
