Visit The Vatican City For A Fascinating Tourist Experience!

If you’re holidaying in Italy anywhere near the city of Rome, then its well worth visiting Vatican City State within it! Recognised fully as an independent state, the Vatican City is the headquarters of the Catholic Church and is where its leader, the Pope resides.

Every year, millions of pilgrims and tourists come here to admire the magnificent architecture, history and art that has earned Vatican City its status of being a Cultural Heritage Site by UNESCO.

There are many wonderful vacation rentals in Rome city, surrounding the Vatican state where visitors can enjoy a comfortable stay and spend a few days exploring this unique place.

Vatican City is built on the right bank of the River Tiber where it was once a marshy land where several villas were built in pre Christian times. Visitors might be fascinated to learn that between 37-41AD, Emperor Caligula had a private arena built here. During the reign of Emperor Nero from 54-68AD, many unfortunate Christians were tortured and met their death here for the entertainment of Roman crowds.

St. Peter, one of Jesus’ disciples, is thought to have been killed and buried in a tomb somewhere here. The first Christian Emperor, Constantine, built a majestic basilica over the supposed burial site in honour of the saint. The Basilica that tourists see today was a new replacement built between the 16th and 17th centuries.

As visitors tour around this fascinating city they will learn that Vatican City State covers approximately .44 square kilometres or one hundred acres. It’s partly surrounded by high walls and extends into St. Peter’s Square. There are five main entrances that are continually guarded by the Pope’s special bodyguards, the unusually dressed Swiss Guard. Tourists have often been amused over the years at the sight of their vibrantly coloured uniforms and feathered hats!

Vatican City has a population of fewer than one thousand people and has its own flag, government, vehicle registration plates, stamps and even currency, although the Euro is the most used currency within the state.

Tourists have so much on offer for them to explore in the splendid Vatican City including; St. Peter’s Basilica, the Sistine Chapel, the Vatican Gardens, Castel St’ Angelo and the largest museum complex in the world, the Vatican museums, to name but a few. Related articles explore these interesting tourist attractions in more depth.

To fully immerse yourself in every beautiful site within the Vatican State, two to three days of touring in and around the city walls should satisfy your exploration appetites, there is even the opportunity to reserve free tickets in advance to visit the Pope! Be sure to bring along your best camera and walking boots to travel around and record your memories!