Vatican City , officially the State of the Vatican City, at approximately 44 hectares (110 acres), and with a population of around 800, it is the SMALLEST country in the world by both population and area.

It has its own currency, postal service, passport, newspapers, radio station and railroad system. Its population of less than 1000 consists almost entirely of Church personnel, Vatican administrators and representatives of international organizations.

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History About Vatican (From TravelVantage):

The word VATICAN is an ancient place-name of Etruscan origin. In pre-Christian times it was applied to a vast area of swampy land stretching between what is today Trastevere and Monte Mario. During the Imperial age, however, the area was transformed into sprawling parks, with huge arenas built for sporting events. In fact, what is now St.Peter’s Square was probably a circus for chariot racing, and the sire where early Christians in the early part of the 4th Century, constructed a great basilica on the site of what is thought to be St. Peter’s Tomb. The current St. Peter’s, built during the 16th and 17th centuries, replaced that basilica.

For centuries the Popes lived in the area of the right bank of the Tiber that has become the Vatican City, but the Vatican only developed into the Church’s governmental center in the 14th Century when Pope Gregory XI returned from exile in Avignon.

From the late 16th through the mid-19th centuries, the Popes again neglected the Vatican, preferring to live in a new palace on the Quirinale Hill, where they believed the air was healthier.

It was only after 1870 and the political unification of Italy that the Popes permanently returned to the Vatican. And it was not until 1929, when the Lateran Treaty between Italy and the Holy See recognized its sovereignty and defined its boundaries, that the State of the Vatican City was established as the official home of the Pope and the center of the Roman Catholic Church.

An obelisk is a tall, narrow, four-sided, tapering monument which ends in a pyramidal top. Ancient obelisks were made of a single piece of stone.

A huge fountain with the Vatican in the background.
My mum, even my mum is taller than me. I’m a failed product.

We got into the Vatican area and saw the queue for St Peter’s getting longer and longer. Even though I hate queue, but I’m not stupidly determined to not to enter St Peter after spending 21 hours in the plane. So we joined the queue. But the wait wasn’t at all tiresome and the line kept moving very fast.

Entrance into the basilica was free, but there was a strict and elaborate dress code. In short, no skimpy clothes!

We were told by our tour guide that the building ahead of us was the Pope’s residence, known as the Apostolic Palace. The popes live a luxurious and wealthy life. Their chambers are decorated and furnished like an emperor’s.

Why would popes live a luxurious life? While we were taught to live a simple life and to give away our money to the poor?

Pope’s Residence

The Swiss Guards dressed in Michelangelo’s fashion design, guarding one of the entrances to the Vatican.

St. Peter’s Basilica, the largest Catholic Church in the world.

The Basilica is simply huge inside and full of paintings and sculptures.
All of the sculptures that are in gold colour in the Basilica are actually made out of gold.

La Pieta
It was protected behind bullet-proof glass after attacked by a Hungarian guy who jumped on top and claimed he was Jesus Christ and that was not his mother. He then hit it with a hammer.

The Vatican City was no doubt glorious and impressive; we spent about an hour or two there and ready to make a move to Piazza Navona. I spotted this food stand at the exit of the Vatican city and found it very interesting.