Vatican City: Fun Facts, Information, and Resources

• Buffer
• Tweet

When was Vatican City Founded?

The Vatican City, or Holy See, is the smallest independent state in the world. It is the residence of the pope, the spiritual leader of the Roman Catholic Church, and nuns and priests of worldwide nationalities. The area is completely surrounded by the city of Rome, the capital of Italy. Vatican City, officially known as the State of the Vatican City, was established on Feb. 11, 1929. The Lateran Pacts with Italy created the city-state’s existence and were ratified on June 7, 1929, recognizing Vatican City as a sovereign state under international law. The term Vatican was taken from ancient times and identified the marshy area on the right bank of the Tiber River between the Milvio Bridge and the Sixtus Bridge. During the monarchy and republican eras, the Vatican was known as Ager Vaticanus. It included the land extending north as far as the mouth of the Cremera and south to the Janiculum. In the age of imperialism, from the second century A.D., the name Vaticanum was assigned to an area that now resembles the present Vatican City State.

Vatican City and the Holy See

Vatican City is distinguished from the Holy See, which is the Episcopal jurisdiction of the Roman Catholic Church in Rome and which attributes its beginnings to early Christianity. It forms the central government of the Church. In diplomatic circles and other domains, the Holy See acts and speaks on behalf of the entire Roman Catholic Church. Frequently, the Holy See is often referred to as the Vatican, but it is not the same entity; the Vatican city-state came into existence much later. Ambassadors and papal representatives to states and international organizations are recognized as representing the Holy See, not Vatican City. Any ordinances published by Vatican City would be written in Italian while the official documents of the Holy See are issued in Latin. These two areas even issue different passports. The Holy See, which is not a country, issues only diplomatic and service passports while Vatican City issues regular passports. In reality, neither of these entities issues very many passports.

Quick Facts About the Vatican City

• Vatican City’s Medieval and Renaissance walls determine its boundaries, except for St. Peter’s Square, which is on its southeast(even though St. Peter’s Square is part of Vatican City, because of the many people that visit this area, it is under the watch of the Italian Police Force).
• Although there are six entrances to the city, only three, the piazza, the Arco delle Campane and the entrance to the Vatican Museums and Galleries, are open to the public.
• The land are of Vatican City covers approximately 110 acres.
• The entire area is under the protection of the Hague Convention of May 14, 1954, which safeguards cultural heritage sites in the case of military action.
• Vatican City has also been recognized in the international community as an artistic, moral and cultural heritage site that affords respect and protection as it is seen as belonging to the entire world.
• In 1984, it was registered as such in the terms of the UNESCO Convention for November 16, 1972, which also ensures protection of similar sites.
• It has a population as reported by the United Nations in 2009 of just 800 inhabitants.
• The official language is Latin although Italian is widely spoken as well.
• The Vatican has its own monetary unit, the Vatican lira.
• Its main exports are postage stamps, publications and tourist souvenirs.
• Vatican City has many of its own public amenities such as a telephone system, postal service, radio station, pharmacy and banking facilities.
• Almost all necessary life essentials including food, water, electricity and gas must be imported.
• The city has no income tax and no restrictions on the import or export of money.
• The Holy See, in the role of government, obtains its income from the contributions of 1 billion Roman Catholics the world over. It also collects interest on investments and the sales of coins, stamps and publications.
• The climate of the city is the same as Rome’s, which is a Mediterranean climate with rainy, mild winters and dry, hot summers.
• Interestingly, in 2007, Vatican City took the lead by becoming the first carbon neutral state. It is doing this by offsetting carbon dioxide emissions with the development of a Vatican climate forest in Hungary.
• The cultural life in the Vatican has greatly declined since the Renaissance era, when the popes were viewed as Italy’s foremost patrons of the arts. Nevertheless, artists and tourists still are attracted to the Vatican Museums and Galleries, the frescoes by Michelangelo in the Sistine Chapel, Raphael’s Stanze and the frescoes by Pinturicchio in the Borgio Apartment.
• What is the capital of Vatican City? The capital of the state of Vatican City is Vatican City
• Vatican City is the only city inside a city.
• Through its central government, the Catholic Church and local churches throughout the world carry out its mission of spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ for the redemption of humanity and in the service of peace and justice for all nations. The pope, who lives in Vatican City, is at the center of this government and is assisted by the Department of the Roman Curia, which is also located in the city.
• The Vatican City State has the unusual characteristic of being an entity onto itself separated from any earthly intervention. The structures of the city are reduced to the minimum in order for the church to fulfill its functions.
• The Pontifical Military Corps was disbanded by Pope Paul VI in 1970. The Swiss Guard and the Gendarme Corps remain. The Gendarme Corps, a civil organization, has the responsibility of law enforcement and answers to the state authority.

Resources about the Vatican

Facts about the land, people, history, government, economy, foreign relations of The Holy See.

The official website of the Vatican

Images of St Peters Piazza

Vatican Museums

Resource by F.Rosseti

I am a teacher in Michigan. I grew up in Florida and have lived here in MI for close to 15 years. I enjoy writing and skiing in my spare time.

Related Research For Teachers, Students, and Kids