Vatican City State
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Vatican City; The Vatican City State; Italian: Stato della Città del Vaticano; Latin: Status Civitatis Vaticanae
Vatican City, identified officially as the Vatican City State (Italian: Stato della Città del Vaticano; Latin: Status Civitatis Vaticanae), is a small, independent nation-state that's enclosed within Rome, residing on the west side of the Tiber River. It's renowned for being the Roman Catholic Church's headquarters. Its boundaries are defined by medieval and Renaissance walls, with the exception of the southeast section at St. Peter's Square. Out of six entrances, the public can use the ones at the square, the Arch of the Bells, and the Vatican Museums and Galleries. The most striking structure is St. Peter's Basilica, constructed in the 4th century and then rebuilt in the 16th century. The basilica, built over St. Peter the Apostle's tomb, is the second largest sacred building in Christianity, surpassed only by the Yamoussoukro Basilica.
The Vatican palace serves as the Pope's home within the city's perimeters. The Holy See is the term used for the Roman Catholic Church's administration, headed by the Pope as the Bishop of Rome. The Holy See's jurisdiction extends over Catholics worldwide. It has been situated in Vatican City since 1929, a state established for the Pope to exercise his global authority.
Vatican City boasts its own telephone network, postal services, gardens, astronomical observatory, radio station, banking system, and pharmacy. It has been supported by the Swiss Guards since 1506, ensuring the Pope's safety. Nearly all resources, such as food, water, electricity, and gas, are imported. The city is exempt from income tax and fund restrictions. The Holy See's income stems from over a billion Roman Catholics' voluntary contributions, as well as interest on investments and revenue from stamp, coin, and publication sales. Public reporting of banking operations and expenditures began in the early 1980s.
From the 4th century to 1870, the Vatican expanded its territory around Rome and became the Papal States' capital. In 1929, Vatican City's independent sovereignty was recognized by the Italian Fascist government in the Lateran Treaty. The Pope, as the Roman Catholic Church's head, exercises absolute executive, legislative, and judicial powers within the city. A 1984 reshuffle of the Roman Curia led to a five-cardinal commission, headed by the Secretariat of State, managing the city's routine administration. Vatican City's inhabitants consist mainly of priests, nuns, and several hundred laypeople working in administrative, domestic, trade, and service roles.
Vatican City enjoys extraterritorial privileges in over a dozen other buildings in Rome and at Castel Gandolfo, its summer residence in the Alban Hills. It also maintains embassies in numerous international countries.
Vatican City: A Global Hub of Art and Culture An exploration of Vatican City's artistic treasures, including a focus on Pope Leo X's patronage.
The cultural vibrancy of the Vatican has significantly decreased since the Renaissance, when popes were leading patrons of the arts in Italy. However, the Vatican Museums and Galleries, Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel frescoes, Pinturicchio's Borgia Apartment frescoes, and Raphael's Stanze continue to draw praise from art critics, artists, and countless tourists worldwide.
Extensive restoration work on the Sistine Chapel frescoes, completed in 1994, revealed Michelangelo's work in its full, vibrant colors. The year 2000 and the millennial Jubilee brought renewed global focus to Vatican City.
As of the year 2023, the population of Vatican City, regardless of citizenship, was recorded at approximately 764 individuals.