The Smallest Country in the World – Holy See (the Vatican City)

Also referred as “See of Rome” or “the Vatican” or considering “the Smallest Country” with only 0.44 square kilometers. This is the independent sovereign entity, holding the Vatican City enclave in Rome as Sovereign territory. However, this city is responsible for the governance of all Catholics as well as organized in their particular churches, Patriarchates and religious institutes. Though, it has enough attraction to stay tourists and busy for several days. There are two things are precious to see one is St. Peter’s Basilica and second is Sistine Chapel, also it contains awesome rooms decorated by the supreme artists in their time. The list is never ending like countless collections in museums and among them their specialized interests such as the Museum of Secular Art’s ancient sculpture, the Museum of Sacred Art’s finds from catacombs and early Christian churches, a gallery of candelabras and tapestries, the Map Gallery and many more. Furthermore, things have to visit once while visit the Vatican City, tourists never go back without see this places like missionaries, Papal carriages, vintage cars as well as a collection of more than 800 works of modern religious art by Matisse, Dali, Munch, Rouault and others.

Here, the amazing and mysterious places are in the Vatican City.

Vatican Museums - Largest Museums

Contains the masterpiece of painting, sculpture and other art works which are collected by Popes since many centuries as well as it was founded by Pope Julius II in the early 16th century. It exhibits are displayed in 7km of halls and corridors which range from Egyptian mummies and Etruscan bronzes from the ancient busts, old masters also modern painting. This museum having monumental works of art such as Sistine Chapel, the Chapel of Beato Angelico, the Rephael Rooms and loggia as well as Borgia Apt. Furthermore, this museum is beautifully decorated halls and galleries of the Palazzo Apostolico Vaticano, well this huge complex consists of two Palaces such as the original Vatican palace and the 15th century Palazzetto di Belvedere which joined by two long galleries. Addition, this modern art religious collection was added in 1973 and the its history Museum located at Lateran Palace which includes Pontifical Military Corps. However, Museums are usually open to the Public every weekdays morning and early afternoon in summer days also it is free of cost on last Sunday of every month. The museum’s entrance at Viale Vaticano which is near at Piazza Risorgimento.

St. Peter’s Basilica - Richest and Wonderful Church

The world’s largest and richest as well as beautiful church is also knowns as New St. Peter’s Basilica which located at center if Christianity and presents of St. Peter in Vatican City. This awesome architecture was built before more than one hundred years ago and made by greatest Italian architects. This church is built on Vatican Hill through the Tiber river from the Rome, well this place is highly symbolic such as where found St. Peter, the chief apostle and died Martyr the first pope where he was buried in 64 AD. This largest church has 211.5-meter-long nave where the dome of the basilica is measuring 42 meters in diameter and 132.5 Meters high. However, St. Peter’s Basilica was rebuilt in the 16th century by with very wonderful art with Italy’s most beautiful masterpieces such as Bramante, Michelangelo and Bernini’s 29-meter-high baldachin over the papal altar.

Sistine Chapel - Part of Vatican Museums

This Sistine Chapel is one of the part of Vatican Museums which is a rectangular brick building with six arched windows on each of the two main walls and barrel vaulted ceiling. The Vatican museum was decorated by art masters Sandro Botticelli and Pinturicchio in the 15th century, also its walls and ceiling are decorated with frescoes by many Florentine Renaissance masters where it was painted from 1481 to 1483. Chapel’s north wall is painted as on six frescoes events from the life of Christ by Perugino, Pinturicchio, Sandro, Botticelli, Domenico Ghirlandaio and Cosimo Rosselli where on the South wall it is painted on the life of Moses by same painters with Luca Signorelli and Bartolomeo della Gatta. However, Michelango painted the vast fresco of the Last Judgement on the end alter wall of the Sistine Chapel long after the ceiling frescoes between 1536 to 1541. Even though, there is approx. 25,000 people visits a day and five million in a year at Sistine Chapel. Its paintings cover 12,000 sq ft about one sixth the size of a football pitch.

St. Peter’s Square - Largest and Beautiful Square

Considering one of the largest and beautiful squares in the world which is located at Vatican City on the St. Peter’s Basilica. This gigantic square was built by Gain Lorenzo Bernini between 1656 and 1667 which having 320 meters long and 240 meters wide as well as this square’s bordered on two sides by semi-circular colonnades. These colonnades involve of four rows of columns with in total 284 Doric columns and 88 pilasters, as these columns are 20 meters high and 1.6 meters wide as well as 140 statues were installed on top of the colonnades which all created by Bernini and his students. This wonderful square represents popes, martyrs, evangelists and many other religious figures where left to right of the central obelisk on the square are circular marbles plates which indicate the foci of the elliptical square. However, stand on the other side of these plates where nearest colonnade, it will look only one row of columns instead of four. The architect Bernini was not good in architecture but he was good one in geometry, too. Moreover, on the special occasions or rituals or election of a new pope St. Peter’s Square has held almost 400,000 people fill the expansive square.

Gardens of Vatican City - Covered more than Third of City

Covers more than third of the Vatican City with amazingly manicured by Vatican Gardens which is located in the northeast and south of the city. This gardens are spread in 23 hectares and it is known as the Vatican Hill which having medieval fortifications and buildings as well as monuments from the ninth century to the present day also have fountains and tiny heliports. Addition, amid flower beds and topiary, green lawns and four-acre patch of forest added the beauty of the gardens where having paved roads as well as gravel paths link which is ornamental sections in various horticulture styles such as the Italian Renaissance estate, the flowery French park and also the realistic English landscape. in summer days, waters spouting from a variety of fountains gives freshness in hottest Roman days. Here, the stunning sculpture and artificial caverns of Madonna also olive tree’s donated by government of Israel extends its three verdant branches. Furthermore, visitors have to spend only two hours guided tour and they have to book at least a week in advance.

 Apostolic Palace - Papal Palace Official Residence of the Pope

This is also called Papal Palace or Palace of the Vatican which official residence of the Pope in the Vatican City. This palace is a complex building containing many Papal Apartments, Museums, Library, public and private chapels as well as Catholic Church’s government offices. However, there are more than 1000 rooms also it’s houses offices including administrative offices which actually not related to the Pope’s duties. Well, this Palace attracts worldwide tourists with its optimistic featuring which they can see other part of the Palace but among them Sala Regia and Cappella Paolina that closed to tourists. Furthermore, this Palace have a beautiful garden, fishponds, museums, cattle (which produce plenty of milk to serve whole Palace), natural conservatories and many more. Once a new pope is elected, he takes over the Apostolic Palace as his residence as some of them liked to spend time reflecting in the gardens within the Apostolic Palace. 

Cortile del Belvedere - Made by Pope Julius II and Bramante

The noble purpose Pope Julius II and Bramante made the construction of Cortiles del Belvedere because of they wanted to connect an ancient pontifical palace on the right side of St. Peter’s and the Palace that was built for Innocent VIII by Pollaiolo on the hill and its known as del Belvedere. The Belvedere was one of the place which had the Pope’s many sculptures where made more attractive and popular place. Bramante was innovative where he designed stunning court yard that connected the Vatican Palace and the Villa Belvedere. He structured the series of terraces which were connected by stair and had narrow wings on its sides. The courtyard contained six narrow terraces which were crisscrossed by a central staircase that led to the wide middle terrace. However, the long wings on the sides of the terraces of Cortile del Belvedere now it is Vatican Museum and Library. Moreover, this courtyard was used for many events and occasions because of its awesome designs and atmosphere.

Vatican Necropolis - Hidden Best Vatican Secrets 

Beautiful St. Peter’s Basilica have awesome and massive wonder lies two floor under the building hidden having kept one of the best Vatican secrets which name is Roman Necropolis. This look like a dark city of house where mausoleums arranged along the narrow that having five stories beneath lies ruins that date back to the founding of the Roman Empire. This Vatican Necropolis filled with sculpture, art, frescoes, woodworking, reliquaries and many more. Here, there are more than 20 mausoleums that some having hundreds of bodies where once stood above the ground where were they used by generations of families to bury their dead. Furthermore, the special visits to the necropolis under the Basilica where the tomb of the St. Peter is located having special permission granted from time to time by the Fabbrica di San Pietro. This Necropolis are only opened for tour groups and only two hundred and fifty tourists allowed each day who have booked through the Vatican Excavations office. Even though, men and women both should have to wear in appropriate clothing that covers their shoulders and knees as well as large bags not permitted instead of small bags and umbrellas are permitted inside.