Vatican City
- Address:Vialle Vaticano, Vatican City
- Admission:Free
9:58 PM Sunday, May 27
Passing clouds. Pleasantly warm.
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Vatican City is a separate sovereign state within Rome, created in 1929 and run by the Pope (who is the supreme monarch!). The official population is a little over 800 and it covers an area of 110 acres (44 hectares). Within the walls of the city are St Peter's Basilica, St Peter's Square, the Vatican Museums, the residence of the Pope and offices of the Catholic Church.
Being a separate state, the Vatican has its own postage stamps, and
the official language is Latin (as well as Italian). It has its own bank
and the world's only ATM with instructions in Latin! Although it uses the euro, the Vatican does issue its own coins.
The economy revolves around tourism, printing, mosaics and manufacturing uniforms (who knew!). There are two forces for law and order; one is the Gendarmerie, who keep order, the other is the Swiss Guard (notable for their crazy yellow, blue and red uniforms) the Pope's personal bodyguard since 1506. All 134 members are indeed from Switzerland.
Latest Reviews All Vatican City Reviews »
loved it! I was a great way for us to get around Rome, with an informative tour at the same time. The crews on the buses were very helpful and nice.
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Becky, that did our tour, gave us a tour from her heart. She was very good and informative.
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We were very happy with our guide and tour in Rome. The whole tour was well organized with clear instructions where and when to meet. Being led past the lines of people waiting to get into the Vatican was a bonus. The guide provided historical and factual information but held our interest with amusing stories as well. The small group of ten was perfect. I can't imagine trying to take this tour on your own with only a guide book or an audio description. This was a fantastic tour!
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Vatican City is easy to reach. Take metro line A to stop Ottaviano-S.Pietro-Musei Vaticano or Cipro. Tramway 19 to Piazza del Risorgimento, or various buses. You can also walk from the centre of Rome across Ponte Sant'Angelo and up towards the Piazza San Pietro for the most breathtaking approach.
