Vatican Cityhistory & facts
Vatican City is is the smallest independent country in the world and is the governmental capital of the Catholic Church. In 1929, under the premiership of Mussolini, the Vatican became officially an independent state. The size of the Vatican is about 44 hectares and about 932 citizens live inside. Besides St. Peter's Square, the entire state is walled. The St Peter's Basilica, erected over the tomb of St Peter the Apostle, is the largest religious building in the world.
The Head of the Vatican is the Pope. The current Pope is Benedict XVI, born as Joseph Ratzinger.
location
Vatican City is a bit out of the center of Rome on the other side of the river. Two metro stations are near the Vatican: Ottaviano and Cipro/Musei-Vaticani.
St. Peter's Square
Everybody can walk here; entrance from the public street. No clothes regulation. There is free admission to Basilica. Stairs to the dome 3.50€; elevator to the dome 4€. When we visited the St. Peter's Square, there was a long queue for the Basilica.
waiting time
Be prepared to wait a long time before you can enter the Vatican museum (picture to the right). After having an early breakfast, we took the metro to Ottaviano station and queued at 8.15. It took us 1.5 hour to get into the museum. The line behind us grew rapidly; the waiting time for those people would be at least 2 hours. Besides the waiting time, the temperature is in the afternoon much higher than in the morning. In summer months a temperature of 30-35 degrees Celcius is normal. Admission to the Vatican Museum is around €11.
clothes regulations
To enter the St Peter's Basilica, people must first pass a security control and behind it is the control of your clothes. Shorts or a short skirt are allowed but must be 'decent'. Not too short and certainly not transparent.
Control in the Vatican Museum seems less strictly. I saw a woman inside with very long hair wearing a sexy hot-pants. The majority of the men however had changed their shorts for long trousers.
vatican city
vatican city
vatican city
vatican city
vatican city
vatican cityVatican City is a popular vacation destination. It is a independent state and it has the ability to make its own laws and run its own government outside of the Italian government. Vatican City is a city state and it is one of the smallest in the entire world. The Holy See, the central governing body of the Catholic Church came to an agreement with the Kingdom of Italy in 1929, making it an independent city state. The Holy See is headed by the Pope. Vatican City is the home of the Pope and millions of people visit it each year.
If you are interested in taking an Italian vacation and want to visit Vatican City, there are many offers online and through a travel agency where you can get discount tickets. If you purchase discount Vatican tickets, you will get into the Vatican City through St. Peter’s square. St. Peter’s square is known for Baroque architecture. There is also St. Peter’s Basilica. It is notable because of its dome which can be seen from many parts of Rome.
When you buy your discount Vatican tickets, you will find that there are many places to see during your Italian vacation. Vatican City is the home of the biggest museums in the world. The museum has 1400 rooms that represent thousands of years of art. The Sistine Chapel is also there.
If your search for discount Vatican tickets you may want to try “Skip the Line”. This is a walking tour of Vatican Museums. The walking tour includes a visit to the Sistine Chapel and St. Peters and Raphael’s rooms. Your discount Vatican tickets allow you to get ahead of the very long lines at these famous destinations.
With your discount Vatican tickets you can explore the massive Vatican Museums. The Vatican Museums have many miles of the largest art collection on the globe. Your discount Vatican tickets may include a guide that will guide you through the thousands of rooms. Your discount Vatican tickets will allow you to enjoy these wondrous treasures that were once meant for the eyes of the Pope only.
With the discount Vatican tickets, you can also witness the splendor of Michelangelo’s “Creation of Adam” when you enter the Sistine Chapel. The discount Vatican tickets allow you to be humbled by the gorgeous Saint Peter’s Basilicia. In Saint Peter’s Basilica, you will find another Michelangelo painting, “La Pieta”.
You may want to use your discount Vatican tickets to take a different type of tour. There are car tours available. With your discount Vatican tickets you can get a private car to tour Vatican City along with other site in Rome. From the private car you can not only visit the Vatican but also the Trevi fountain, the Coliseum, and the Spanish Steps. For your discount Vatican ticket you can learn about the layout of the city, Italian lifestyle, Italian food and Italian fashion.
If you are fortunate enough to find discount Vatican tickets, you will have a delightful vacation and don’t forget to take lots of pictures! Discount Vatican tickets can open up a brand new world to you.
