Europe Travel Blog

Within Rome itself is the enclave known as the State of the Vatican City, which is the sovereign territory of the Holy See, the Pope. It is the smallest nation in the world, and even has representation in the United Nations, as a non-voting member state.

Within the Vatican City you can find the grand Saint Peter’s Square, a fine expanse surrounded by classical beauty, having been redesigned by Gian Lorenzo Bernini, from 1656 to 1667, with the express purpose of being a place where a large number of people could gather to be blessed by the Pope – indeed the Pope now does a weekly blessing of the people assembled in the square. Saint Peter’s Basilica is the largest basilica in the world, and many of Italy’s great Renaissance architects worked on it, including Michelangelo, Raphael and Bernini.

Perhaps the piece de resistance of a tour of the Vatican is a visit to the Sistine Chapel, with its magnificent Renaissance works, including frescoes by Pietro Perugino, Sandro Botticelli, Domenico Ghirlandaio and Cosimo Rosselli, and its impressive ceiling which was executed by Michelangelo.

In the Vatican City you can also find the Vatican Library, Vatican Museums, which include an Etruscan Museum, an Egyptian Museum, and a Tapestry Gallery.

In the museums you can also find important works of Leonardo Da Vinci, Giotto, and other great artists, including some wonderful classical statues.

There is so much to see in the Vatican City, that it really is an essential part of any visit to Rome.

Filed under: Ancient historic sites, Architecture, Museums, Culture, Art, Historic Sights, Religious Sights, Italy