Vatican on a map of foreign Europe. The Vatican on its own: what does a traveler need to know? Lena, is it possible to understand when the Pope is in the Vatican or is he away? For example, by looking at the flag at Buckingham Palace you can always tell which house is

A trip to the Vatican is a real event even for an experienced traveler. It’s not often that you get the chance to visit the smallest state on the planet, which is a special enclave on the territory of Rome. The Pope, the head of the Roman catholic church.

Dwarf state on the map of the world and Europe

Find a city on political map the world is not so simple because small sizes and small population.

Even after arriving in Rome, an inexperienced tourist will need a little time to get his bearings and find out the way to this mini-country.

In the capital of which state is it located?

The Vatican occupies no most center of Rome and is based on the famous Vatican Hill, located in the northwestern part of the capital. It is separated from the Tiber River by only a few hundred meters.

Story

Although officially a state with this name exists only since 1929, the history of this religious public education dates back about 2 thousand years.

IN ancient times this territory was called Ager Vaticanum and was located far outside of Rome, representing a swampy area. Villas and gardens were built here for the mother of the infamous Roman Emperor Caligula, Agrippina.

A little later, by order of the same Caligula, a small hippodrome. According to legend, it was on it that the Apostle Peter, a disciple of Christ, was crucified in 64 AD. e.

In the middle of the 8th century. arose on the territory of the present Vatican Papal State, in 1870 captured by the newly proclaimed Kingdom of Italy. In 1929, after negotiations between representatives of the Roman Catholic Church and dictator Mussolini, the modern Vatican was formed.

Useful information

Vatican is absolute monarchy theocratic sense, governed exclusively Holy See.

The highest rank of the Holy See, which holds full legislative, executive and judicial power on the territory of this state, is the Pope, who is elected for life.

After his death and during the conclave sessions that lead to the election of a new Pope, his functions are assumed by Kamerlengo.

Square The Vatican is only 0.44 square meters. km, and the population is just over 800 people. The official language is Latin. 100% of Vatican residents permanently residing in this city-state profess the Roman Catholic faith. You can pay for purchases here in euros.

The country does not border the sea and there are no mineral resources here. Be prepared for constant ups and downs: the local landscape is quite hilly.

To enter the Vatican visa required Italian or standard. A tourist visa can be obtained from the Italian Embassy by presenting the following documents:

• Original invitation or a certificate from the tour operator;
• Medical insurance;
• Certificate from place of employment, indicating your income;
• 2 profiles;
• Photo size 3x4 cm.

The visa gives the right to stay in Italy (including the Vatican) for 2 weeks, and obtaining it will cost $36. However, remember that there are no hotels owned by the Catholic Church: you will have to return to Rome for an overnight stay.

Popular cities, tour prices, currency, transport in Italy - you will find this and much more in.

Climate

The Vatican's climate is soft Mediterranean type. It is hot, dry and even sultry, and winters here are relatively warm and rainy. The thermometer rarely drops below +5°C, and in summer period average temperature air is approximately +25°C.

The most precipitation falls, and its average annual amount reaches 700 mm. It snows extremely rarely in the Vatican.

Best time to visit this tiny state - this is - and autumn months.

How to get there?

To make your trip quick and enjoyable, it is important to find out in advance which way is best to get to the Vatican territory.

Travel from Russia

The Vatican does not have its own airport, so Russians need get to Rome. Alitalia and Aeroflot flights depart from here every day (flight time is 3.5 hours). Residents can fly to Rome by purchasing a ticket on the Rossiya State Transport Company flight, which is scheduled to depart twice a week.

There is no direct train connection between Rome and Rome. If desired, you can get to the Italian capital with two train transfers in Germany, but it is very expensive and will take about 50 hours.

If you want to get there by bus, you will also have to go through several transfers on the territory and travel for more than 2 days, which is very tiring.

1. St. Peter's Square with the cathedral of the same name, which features magnificent works art by Raphael and Michelangelo;
2. Apostolic Palace, which brings together dozens of unique museums, including the Egyptian Museum, the Pio Clementino Museum, the Sistine Chapel and the Vatican Library with many ancient manuscripts;
3. Park area, where small temples, beautiful fountains and original sculptures nestle under the canopy of oaks, olives and cypresses;
4. Etruscan Museum, dedicated to history ancient people, who once lived on Roman lands;
5. Pinakothek, where thousands of works of art are stored outstanding artists all countries and eras.

The Vatican is an ancient place with thousand years of history, so if you come here, the guides will tell you a lot of interesting things about its past and present. You will learn that:

• The name of the state and the hill on which it is located comes from the Latin word vacitinia, which means "divination";
• All inhabitants of the city are in the service of catholic church. Only church ministers can obtain Vatican citizenship service staff or military personnel from the Pope's Swiss Guard;

About half the population has a passport stamped by the Holy See, confirming their status and citizenship. However, it is not inherited and is subject to cancellation upon completion of work in the Vatican.

• There is a building in the country whose lighting and heating are provided exclusively by solar panels;
• 95% of Vatican City residents – male;
• The city-state is completely devoid of industry and agriculture, and the only source of income is taxes levied on Catholic dioceses around the world;
• People live here dozens of nationalities, however, their level of education is so high that the literacy rate in the country is 100%;
• The only banking institution operating in the Vatican is called "Institute of Religious Affairs";
• The country has one of the highest crime levels in the world: most crimes are committed by tourists and employees living in Rome.

From this video you can find out where the Vatican is located and other interesting information:

In total, there are 26 museums in the Vatican, many of them are not large at all, but there is nothing to think about embracing the immensity and viewing at one time all the collections of art objects collected over 500 years by the Catholic Church. Many museums bear the name of the Pope who created them. The oldest collections date back to XVI century. Therefore, in this article I will tell you what to choose for the first acquaintance, and what you can skip. The Vatican Museums are always crowded, so don’t be under the illusion that you won’t be able to view the exhibition in peace and quiet.

It is recommended to purchase tickets in advance and think in advance about what you would like to see. About different variants I wrote about visiting the Vatican in the previous article “”, if you haven’t read it yet, I recommend that you read it first, where I tell you how to buy tickets and what options for visiting are possible and how much different options cost, where you can download free audio guides.

If you bought your tickets online, you can skip the line at the box office. When entering you will have to go through metal detectors, so it is better to leave knives, multitools, and scissors at the hotel. In the lobby you need to select the “Cassa online individuals” window and exchange your voucher for a real ticket if you bought a ticket only for the Vatican Museums. If you bought a ticket with gardens or a visit to Castel Gandolfo, you need to look for the inscription “Guided tour”.

Box office

I recommend printing out the map of the museum at home so you don’t get lost. The plan is not issued along with the tickets.

The first place where all tourists end up is the cone yard. The cone is antique and in ancient Rome she decorated a fountain, then for some time the cone stood in the old Basilica of St. Peter, and now she has given her name to the entire Vatican courtyard. At the foot of the cone, two ancient Egyptian lions lay down to rest. In this building behind the cone there is a Gregorian egyptian museum.

The yard is big, estimate how many people there are

Pio Clementino Museum

Typically, the average visitor begins their tour of the Vatican Museums with the Pio Clementino Museum. The museum received double name from the two popes who founded it - Clement XIV (1769-1774) and Pius VI (1775-1799). Pio Clementino's exhibitions feature a wide collection of ancient sculpture.

The crowd will carry you through the hall of animals; you cannot enter the hall itself, it is fenced with ropes. And it will take you out into a magnificent octagonal courtyard.

Crowds of people in an octagonal courtyard

This is where you need to linger. It is in this courtyard that they are installed famous statues Apollo Belvedere, Hermes Belvedere, Perseus Triumphant with the severed head of Medusa the Gorgon. The latter was sculpted by Antonio Canova, i.e. This is already the 19th century, not antiquity. Where the largest crowd stands is the fastest to hide famous Laocoon. Laocoon is of great importance for Rome. I'll tell you why below.

Perseus Triumphant 19th century, Laocoon, Torso

Description sculptural group Laocoon is contained in the ancient works of Pliny the Elder. They say that during Trojan War, Laocoön, a priest of Apollo in the city of Troy, dissuaded the Trojans from being dragged into the city wooden horse, left by the Greeks outside the city gates. Athena and Poseidon, who were on the side of the Greeks, sent two large sea serpents to kill the priest and his sons. From the Roman point of view, the death of these innocent people is crucial for Aeneas, who believed Laocoon's warning and fled Troy. It was the fugitives from Troy, led by Aeneas, who founded Rome.

There is still debate about the age of the statue. The incredible emotionality of the sculpture is striking; on the other hand, we know that the ancients did not know how to convey movements and emotions so clearly, but this did not stop art theorists from attributing the date of birth of Laocoon to the beginning of our era.

In the center of the Hall of the Muses there is a statue of the “Torso”. This is an antique sculpture, they say it was from it that Michelangelo copied the nude figures of the fresco " Last Judgment", decorating one of the walls of the Sistine Chapel. Below are photos of antique sarcophagi, they are very wonderful.

Sarcophagus with the Battle of the Amazons

Sarcophagus depicting Dionysia

I photographed the bust of Socrates because his name is written almost in our letters, Fortune for good luck. The most valuable exhibit below the trinity is Hercules with the apples of the Hesperides. Firstly, this is ancient bronze, and not many ancient bronzes have survived to our time, and secondly, many marble statues are copies of ancient bronzes that have not survived to our time. Antique bronzes are now exhibited only in museums in Italy and Greece; they are not found in other countries.

Socrates, Muse Fortune, Hercules with the apples of the Hesperides

The floors of the Round Hall are decorated with antique mosaics. And in the center there is a huge porphyry pool with a diameter of 5 meters. It is believed that the pool is antique, how they made it remains a mystery, porphyry is a hard stone. Making something from porphyry is much more difficult than making the same thing from marble or travertine.

Round Hall

In the Hall of the Greek Cross there are two porphyry sarcophagi on display. One of them, according to legend, belonged to Saint Helena, and the second to Constantius. These look like typical antique sarcophagi. The audio guide tirelessly talked about the Christian warriors depicted on the sarcophagus of St. Helena, but there were no signs of the warriors belonging to Christianity. The sarcophagus of Constantius is decorated with scenes of the grape harvest, suggesting analogies between the grapes resurrected as wine and the resurrection of Christ. In my opinion, all this is very far-fetched. Even according to official version Saint Helena and her son Constantine accepted Christianity at the end of their lives, before they had time to make Christian sarcophagi for themselves. We just need to acknowledge this fact.

In the background is the sarcophagus of Saint Helena, in front people look at the mosaic floors

It is curious that the next Pope was later buried in the sarcophagus of St. Helena. For me, this is on the verge of blasphemy, but the Holy Fathers are not at all embarrassed by such things.

Mosaic floors in the Hall of the Greek Cross

This is where the halls of the Pio Clementino Museum end. From here you can go either to the Egyptian Museum or to the Etruscan Museum. The halls of the Egyptian Museum will lead you back to the beginning of the Pio Clementino Museum. Here everyone decides for himself whether he wants to turn left and see the Gregorian Museums or not.

Gregorian Egyptian Museum

The Gregorian Egyptian Museum is named after Pope Gregory XVI, who founded the collection in 1839. The museum consists of only 9 halls and presents typical Ancient Egypt collections, such as numerous hieroglyphic inscriptions, sarcophagi, statues of ancient Egyptian deities with animal heads and even a real mummy an Egyptian noble lady named Amenirdis, wrapped in a net of precious beads. What struck me most was the ancient Egyptian god Bes, the patron saint of babies and pregnant women. If he had to ward off evil spirits, then his appearance was the most suitable.

Gregorian Etruscan Museum

As you may have guessed, it was opened by Pope Gregory XVI. The museum consists of 18 halls and was one of the first museums dedicated to the Etruscans. I recommend all Slavs to visit this museum. Exist historical theories, according to which the Etruscans were Slavs and lived much later than is commonly thought of them now. The Polish scientist Tadeusz Wolanski deciphered many Etruscan inscriptions back in the 19th century and published books about his research. For this, the Pope asked the Russian Emperor Nicholas I to apply an auto-da-fé from his books to the scientist. This episode took place in the enlightened 19th century. The books were banned, the issue was hushed up, official science still considers the Etruscan inscriptions unreadable.

Etruscan gold jewelry is very similar to what we have on display in the Golden Pantry of the Hermitage, i.e. on Scythian things.

Gallery of candelabra

The Candelabra Gallery is part of the Profano Museum. The length of the gallery is 80 m. The gallery got its name thanks to the antique candelabra that decorate it on all sides. The ceiling is decorated with paintings on the theme of reconciliation between religion and science, religion and art, and even harmony between paganism and Christianity.

Vatican crowds, gallery of candelabra, coat of arms of Pope Leo XIII

Tapestry gallery

The gallery of tapestries was decorated under Pope Pius VI. The main exhibits are tapestries from the Brussels manufactory of Pieter Van Elst, woven in the 16th century under Clement VII, which came to the gallery much later than 1838, until that moment they adorned the walls of the famous Sistine Chapel. The weavers of Flanders managed to depict complex religious subjects using threads of only 6 colors.

Gallery of geographical maps

The unusually long, narrow gallery of maps is perhaps the most impressive room in the Apostolic Palace and was frescoed by Pope Gregory XIII. It took three years from 1580 to 1583 for the 40 frescoes to take their places on both sides of the gallery. Some maps have important cartographic value. The maps show the areas of Italy that belong to the Papal States. At the very end of the gallery there is a map of Italy during antiquity, and on the other side a modern map of Italy at the time the fresco was painted (XVI century).

One of the regions of Italy in the gallery of geographical maps

During the Renaissance, it was quite popular to decorate the halls of palaces geographical maps For example, the Globe Hall in the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence is decorated in a similar way.

On the way to one of the most remarkable parts of the palace, we looked into the Vatican courtyard, probably this is all the personal life of the Vatican available to tourists. Nothing human is alien to the Holy Fathers; they love cars and drive them to Rome. The Vatican is so small that there is nowhere to travel there.

Courtyard Vatican

Stanzas of Raphael

I highly recommend exploring these rooms with an audio guide. The stanzas, or simply rooms, were painted by Raphael and his students from 1508 to 1524 for Pope Julius II della Rovere. There are only 4 rooms. Each of these paintings was replicated in different palaces around the world. If you don’t know who these people are and what the plot is, then it’s better to go to the store to choose wallpaper, the effect will be about the same. For example, tapestries repeating Raphael’s scenes “Constantine in front of his army”, “The expulsion of Heliodorus from their Temple”, “ Athens school" and "Parnassus" are now exhibited in the Hermitage. Initially, they were made to decorate the Mikhailovsky Castle in St. Petersburg.

So that you can get an idea of ​​the greatness of these paintings, I will insert the official video of the Vatican Museums. I won’t explain the plots; this could easily be stretched into a whole article. And anyone can easily find everything on the Internet.

The next place worth visiting and stopping at is the Borgia Apartments.

Apartment Borgia

Fans of the Borgias series should definitely stop here. The paintings were done by Bernardino Pinturicchio (Pinturicchio in Italian means simply beautiful painting) at the very end of the 15th century, earlier than the paintings of Raphael, in your mind you should first look at them, and only then get acquainted with Raphael’s stanzas, but the route was drawn up so that in these The rooms can only be reached after the chambers of Julius II, successor and rival of Alexander VI Borgia.

People who watched the series will remember this plot. Pope Alexander VI Borgia is still considered a libertine, a murderer and a very bad a good man- this is the official version. According to the unofficial version, he lost in the political struggle to his opponents and they denigrated him, attributed to him and even his children all conceivable and inconceivable sins. He is even accused of corrupting his 13-year-old daughter Lucrezia.

Alexander VI certainly did not suffer from modesty; for example, he placed his image on a fresco with the famous religious plot of the Resurrection of Christ. But in this he was no different from his followers. In the church near the Pantheon, we saw Cardinal Carafa inserted into the plot of the Annunciation.

The Resurrection of Christ, Pope Borgia is depicted in this fresco

But this sordid story is not all the interesting and mysterious that the Borgia Apartments can offer you. Our scientists G.V. Nosovsky, A.T. Fomenko calculated the date encrypted on the ceiling of the Sibylline Hall. They believe that the date depicted on the ceiling is August 28, 1228 AD, and corresponds to the creation of the Ptolemaic system of the world. Official historical science believes that the Ptolemaic system of world order appeared in the 2nd century AD. The 1000 year gap is obvious. Calculations by G.V. Nosovsky and A.T. Fomenko are published on the Internet; those interested can read them and form their own opinion.

The Sistine Chapel

All the way in Rome I was amazed by the close interweaving of pagan and Christian symbols. This feeling reached its apogee in the Sistine Chapel. Could you imagine that the hierarchs of the Orthodox Church held their meetings in such a hall? And the fathers of the Catholic Church hold their conclaves in the Sistine Chapel, where they choose a new Pope.

This is a glitchy 3D panorama of the Sistine Chapel from the official Vatican website, it keeps prompting you to save the file musical accompaniment, don't pay attention to it.

Initially, Michelangelo painted all the figures completely naked with all the anatomical details; loincloths were added to them much later. Sibyls are again present on the ceiling. I read the Bible and remember well that through all Old Testament A red thread runs through the idea that fortune-tellers and soothsayers are an abomination in the face of the Lord. And in Rome, almost every church depicts fortune tellers in the form of Sibyls.

Taking photographs in the Sistine Chapel is completely prohibited. The fact is that the Italians did not have the money to restore the chapel. They were forced to sell to a Japanese company that invested in restoration. The Japanese received exclusive rights to film in the chapel. At the moment when we examined the chapel, the people in it were like on a bus at rush hour. Everyone stood shoulder to shoulder and listened to their audio guides. I only saw the magnificent floor of the Sistine Chapel in a 3D panorama.

If you go left after the Sistine Chapel, you can get into St. Peter's Cathedral without a queue, and continue to the museums to the right.

In general, we spent about 5 hours exploring the described part of the Vatican Museums, but everything is individual. Official guided tours of the Vatican Museums usually last 2-3 hours. If you take your own audio guide, you can probably walk there for 8 hours. There are cafes in museums where you can have a snack - it’s not tasty and it’s expensive. I don’t even know what I wanted more: to sit down or eat something. There is definitely more seating, but there were no free seats in the cafe, only standing tables. People ate while sitting on the stairs. Some rooms have benches.

You can go to the Vatican Museums, like the Hermitage, many times, each time choosing something new. We didn’t go to the Pinakothek and out of 26 museums we only visited 9, and even then not completely, but we were filled with impressions. Some museums are of interest only to specialists, for example, lapidariums.

Have you been to the Vatican Museums? How long did it take you to complete the inspection? What interesting things did you learn?

Do you want to travel to Rome on your own? Read in one article. You will learn: about all types of airport transfers (cost), about the cost of tickets for public transport, get a plan for exploring the city for 6 days, where is the best place to buy tickets to museums in Rome and avoid queues.

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Among the tiny states on the world map, the Vatican is of constant interest. Everyone knows that The residence of the Pope is located here.

But most people find it difficult to give the correct answer to questions about the state structure, history, flag and coat of arms of the Vatican. You have the opportunity to learn a lot interesting information about the smallest state in the world.

General information

The Vatican City State is located inside the city of Rome on the low Vatican Hill. For many, the Vatican and Italy are identical concepts. In fact, the Vatican sovereign state with the capital of the same name.

Some numbers and facts:

The Holy See makes decisions and governs the state. It is with this collegial body that the missions of foreign diplomatic missions in the Vatican are accredited. Due to the limited size of the territory, all embassies and consulates are located in Rome.

During the years of independence, the Holy See has established diplomatic relations with 174 countries. Vatican – member of many international organizations . The Pope is often a mediator in resolving international conflicts and always advocates their peaceful resolution.

On the territory of this enclave state there are masterpieces of world architecture and numerous museums. In the Vatican you can see St. Peter's Basilica and the famous Sistine Chapel.

The Vatican flag, unlike most national flags of other countries, has a square shape. The cloth consists of two stripes of the same size, white and yellow flowers. In the central part of the white stripe there are two crossed keys under the symbol of power- papal tiara.

The Vatican acquired its flag during the ceremony of independence from Italy. This happened significant event June 7, 1929. Then Pope Pius XI was on the throne.

The Vatican coat of arms is full of symbolism. Motives Gospel reflected on the coat of arms in the form of keys, given by Jesus Christ to the Apostle Peter.

What does the Vatican coat of arms look like? The red shield depicts two crossed keys: silver and gold. The keys are tied with a blue or red cord. Above the keys is the papal tiara.

The Vatican exists through charitable contributions to the state treasury from Christians of various countries and income from tourism business. Every year, the city-state is visited by millions of tourists and pilgrims who come to worship the Pope and listen to his Sunday sermon.

It is no less interesting to find out who built it, as well as how many people it could accommodate. Interesting Facts about the Colosseum - the symbol of Italy.

How many people do you think live in dwarf San Marino and what is its capital? As well as other answers on the pages of our website.

Vatican on the world map

Thanks to the Internet, you can see a detailed map of the Vatican. Wonderful corners and architectural masterpieces in such a tiny area there is more than enough.

History of the state

During the Roman Empire, there were no settlements or cities on the territory of modern Vatican City. The Romans considered this place holy. During the reign of Emperor Claudius, circus games were held on Vatican Hill.

Since the spread of Christianity in Europe, at the site of the supposed burial of the Apostle Peter The majestic Basilica of Constantine was built. The year 326 marked the beginning of the history of the Vatican.

By the 8th century, numerous settlements were united into a papal state, which occupied a significant part of the territory of the Apennine Peninsula. But the Vatican was unable to preserve its own territories. In 1870, the Italian kingdom brought the Vatican under its rule.

The papal state gained independence after the Lutheran Accords, prisoners of Benito Mussolini in 1929. Since then, the boundaries and structure of the Vatican have not changed.

Geography and population

The Vatican is located 20 km from the shores of the Tyrrhenian Sea in the center of the Apennine Peninsula. Vatican Hill located in the northwestern part of Rome on the right bank of the Tiber River. The picturesque Vatican gardens are laid out on the gentle part of the hill.

On all sides the papal state borders only with Italy. Geographical coordinates: 42° north latitude and 12° east longitude.

Border of the dwarf state marked by a defensive wall. Entrance to the Vatican is through six gates.

St. Peter's Square formally belongs to the Vatican, but order is maintained by the Italian police. The borders of the Vatican are guarded by the Swiss Guard and the Gendarmerie, subordinate to the Pontiff.

As of 2014, the tiny state is home to 842 people. More than 70% of the population is clergy, about 13% – National Guard. There are few lay people - their number does not even reach a hundred.

The Vatican is a tiny state located in the center of Rome. But it is still difficult to imagine what the Vatican is like. A country? City? Tourist complex? Possessions of the Pope? Everything about the Vatican and myths about the smallest state in the world is described in this article.

What is the Vatican

The Vatican City State is the residence of the Pope and is located on the territory of Rome. The form of government is an absolute theocratic monarchy, that is, the head of the country is the head of the church; there are only three countries with this form of government in the world (also the Sultan of Brunei and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia). Officially, the state is called the “Holy See”, but is territorially represented by the Vatican City.

St. Peter's Square and Basilica

The Holy See is the smallest sovereign state. The area of ​​the Vatican is only 440 square meters or 0.44 hectares, on the world map it is less than a point. The official language is Italian, but official documents often use Latin names. You can pay in euros. The majority of the Vatican's 1,000 population are Italian wage workers. Citizenship is received only by people who serve the Holy See; it cannot be passed on by inheritance.

All branches of power in the country are concentrated in the hands of the sovereign of the Holy See, in other words, in the hands of the Pope. The pope is elected by the cardinals for life. There are also many legislative and executive bodies: Pontifical Commission, Roman Curia, Secretariat of State, Ecumenical Council and others. Litigation The Supreme Church Court is in charge, and the Papal Guard serves to maintain order.

Scheme: Vatican on the map

History of the Vatican

Place on the outskirts ancient Rome was chosen even before the official recognition of Christianity as a religion: here are the gardens and villas of Agrippina, who was the mother of Emperor Caligula. Later, although Christianity became the state religion of Italy, the Catholic Church had very little land of its own.

In the Middle Ages, kings were afraid of the strong Pope and tried to limit his territorial possessions. However, by 1870, from lands donated or otherwise transferred to the use of the church, the Papal State had emerged. It occupied more than half of the Apennine Peninsula, but the Kingdom of Italy destroyed this state entity.

Statues in St. Peter's Basilica

In history, this period was preserved as the “Roman Question”; it was not resolved until the 20th century. In the summer of 1927, the Italian government, led by Benito Mussolini, and the Holy See sat down at the negotiating table in the Lateran Palace. On February 11, 1929, three legal documents were signed - the Lateran Agreements. These papers recognized the sovereignty of the Vatican State, described its territories and defined the relationship between the Church and Italy. That same year, the Vatican adopted its own constitution.

In 1957 new country began to cooperate with the UN, and since 2008 with international Interpol. Due to the limited territory, the embassies of many countries in the Vatican are located on Roman soil. It turns out that the Italian embassy in the Vatican is located in Italy.

Additional Information! The history of the word Vatican itself is also interesting. It came from the name of the Vatican Hill, on the top of which the city is located, and was first used only in the text of the Lateran Agreements. The official name of the state is translated from Italian as “Vatican City State”.

Attractions map

More than 4 million tourists flock to Rome every year to visit the Vatican. Some are attracted by the weekly audience with the Pope, which takes place on Wednesdays at 10:30 a.m. local time. But most are interested in the uniquely beautiful architectural monuments and sights of the city.

Saint Paul's Cathedral

Usually you enter the city through the rounded St. Peter's Square, in the middle of which stands an Egyptian obelisk. Next comes the majestic St. Peter's Cathedral, built in the 16th century on the burial site of St. Peter. Above the structure in different time Raphael, Michelangelo, Bernini and about a dozen other architects worked. The map of the Vatican shows that, together with the square, the ensemble has the symbolic shape of a key.

The Sistine Chapel

Nearby is the Sistine Chapel, built in 1481. Many people recognize the building as unremarkable in appearance, but main value present paintings of biblical scenes. But photographing the frescoes is prohibited; you need good eyesight to see the pictures under the ceiling. No less famous male choir chapel, the peculiarity of which is its performance without musical accompaniment.

Gardens

Immediately behind the cathedral there is a garden that occupies most of the territory of the state. It was once built for the Pope's walks and solitude. Now they are well-groomed lawns and plantings, which is not surprising, because more than 20 people take care of the land. The garden has many fountains and displays, united by a branching network of paths.

Double Spiral Staircase in the Library

Library

Behind the Sistine Chapel you can find the Apostolic Library. It was founded in the 15th century and today more than 1.5 million books and half a million other exhibits are stored here. But this place will be of interest not only to those who like to read, especially since not all rooms are free to visit. The building itself is beautifully decorated and delights the eye with incredible images; there is the famous spiral staircase, twisting into a double snail.

Museums

Just behind the library are the exhibition complex of the Vatican Museums and the Pinacoteca. In general, one thing can be said about the Vatican museums: there are a lot of them. Most of the museums were founded by Popes and bear their names (Museums of Pius Clement, Chiaramonti, Pio Cristiana), there are museums and halls dedicated to historical eras and ethnic groups (Gregorian Etruscan, Gregorian Egyptian, Ethnological Missionary and Historical Museums, Collection contemporary art). Some rooms for other purposes also later became museums, for example, the Borgia Apartments or the Niccolina Chapel.

Pope

The Pope is the head of the Catholic Church, the supreme ruler of the Holy See and the Vatican. The Pope is considered the direct successor of St. Peter, who was the first Bishop of Rome.

During the existence of the church, 266 popes were replaced, 40 of them were recognized as antipopes, that is, people who illegally seized the title. Urban VII died of malaria 12 days after being elected Pope, his shortest pontificate. But during his time in the title, he managed to ban smoking in in public places. Stephen III lived even less as Pope, who died three days after his election and did not have time to begin his duties.

Since 2013, the post of Pope has been occupied by Francis, in the world Jorge Mario Bergoglio. This is the first Francis in the history of the papacy. The pontiff has a Twitter page, but he doesn't watch TV because he made a vow.

Important! In addition to weekly audiences, you can write to Francis by mail at Courtyard Santa Marta, 00120 Vatican City.

Who guards the city

The only armed forces of the Vatican are the Swiss Guard of the Pope. This army is the oldest in the world, and was organized in 1506 by order of Pope Julius II. This pontiff is considered one of the most warlike, because during his reign he conquered significant territories.

Pope Francis and his guards

In 1506, 150 Swiss guards were brought to the Vatican. The Pope chose the Swiss because they were famous for their bravery in battle and loyalty. Guardsmen can be recognized by their bright yellow and blue uniform, which, with some improvements, they wear to this day. The army is armed with modern pistols and machine guns when accompanying the Pope, and the palace guards carry traditional halberds.

Despite its small numbers (the number of guards rarely exceeded 200 people; now 110 soldiers serve the Pope), the army took part in hostilities and always coped with its direct responsibilities - protecting the Pope. In addition, guardsmen take part in ceremonies, which serves as entertainment for tourists.

How to get to the Vatican on a tour

Despite the fact that the Vatican is not large, there are many historical monuments and works of art collected here, so tour guides have something to show in the city. But it makes sense to walk on your own. Entrance to some attractions is free, such as the square and St. Peter's Basilica, the Library. For others you will have to pay: the Sistine Chapel and the Vatican Museums (one general ticket) or access to the dome of St. Peter's Basilica.

Interesting! Most excursions are conducted in European languages, but you can also find Russian-speaking tour groups or buy a personal guide. Each guide makes his own route, but if you want to visit the maximum number of attractions, you will have to spend 4-6 hours. Therefore, it is better to dress comfortably.

The Vatican has its own dress code; tourists have the right not to be allowed in if:

• shoulders and knees will not be covered;
• there will be a deep neckline;
• there will be rude inscriptions on clothes;
• Men are prohibited from wearing hats.

Note! During popular periods, queues can take up to 3 hours, so it is often more profitable to book tickets in advance on the official website. The most long lines in the morning, and after lunch the excitement subsides. In addition, you can walk around museums during an audience with the Pope; on Wednesday mornings the queues are always shorter.

How to get to the Vatican, where the entrance is located

Everyone knows that the center of the Catholic world is in Rome. But where exactly in Rome is the Vatican? The route to get there will depend on where you are leaving from. If you use the metro, you will have to walk. After all, the city is located between Ottaviano and Cipro stations. You can also get there by bus; there are about a dozen routes nearby. You can try typing any building or landmark into a search engine.

Important! The city-state is surrounded by a fence and can be entered through the Museums or St. Peter's Square. It is better to choose the road to a specific place, because the journey from one entrance to another can take up to half an hour.

Frescoes in the Vatican Library

How to buy tickets to the Vatican: online booking, remote purchase. How much should I book for?

You can pay for admission to some attractions or buy an entire excursion, both group and personal. You can purchase tickets at the box office directly in the Vatican or book on the official website.

By booking your tickets online, you will be able to avoid queues. Registration costs 4 euros*. Ticket prices may vary depending on promotions and routes. A visit to the Museums and the Sistine Chapel is worth*:

• 17 euros per adult;
• 8 euros for students and schoolchildren (upon presentation of a document);
• 5 euros for children from 6 to 12 years old;
• free for children under 6 years old.

Tickets can be booked a month in advance. To do this, on the official Vatican website (available only in English or other European languages), you need to select “tours”. A list of all possible tourist routes will appear. Next, you need to select the day and time of visit, additional options (audio guide). You can pay bank cards. You can book up to 10 tickets.

The Vatican is a place with more than two thousand years of history, it is an incredible concentration of ancient relics on small area, this is the heart of the Catholic world and European culture, the most popular foreign tourist route.

*Prices shown are current as of September 2018.

Here is a map of the Vatican with streets → a state on the territory of Italy. We study a detailed map of Vatican City with houses and streets. Search in real time, weather today, coordinates

More details about the streets of the Vatican on the map

A detailed map of the Vatican City State with street names will be able to show all the routes and roads of the region where the street is located. Via della Conciliazione. Located inside Italy and bordering on. Residence of the Pope and capital of the Roman Catholic Church.

To view the entire area in detail, just change the scale online schemes+/-. On the page there is an interactive map of the Vatican with addresses and routes of the area. Move its center to find Via Paolo now.

The ability to plot a route on a map of the country and calculate the distance using the “Ruler” tool, find out the length of roads and the path to St. Peter’s Square, addresses of attractions, transport stops (type of map “Hybrid”), look at train stations and borders with Italy.

You will find everything you need detailed information o location of infrastructure - shops and squares, alleys and roads.

An accurate satellite map of the Vatican in Russian with Google search is in its own section, panoramas as well. Use Yandex search to show the desired house on the map of the state in the world, in real time. Nearby