Vatican City Site : Common Vatican City Questions

For a majority of Catholics living across the world there is one destination that they would love to visit sometime in their lives. It is the Vatican City. A far off destination in Rome, Italy this country within a city is a plethora of fantastic pieces of art work spanning the centuries. It is the location of the Pope and mass is attended there by the thousands each day.

The Vatican City is fascinating and will definitely always be one of the most popular destinations but few know of its intricate history and its political structure. The smallest country in the world, the Vatican City is home to many interesting subjects. This article will cover some of the basics of this fascinating city as well as its infrastructure. Maybe before it is all over you will find yourself booking a trip to Rome.

Vatican City is located within Rome. It is a small, walled in city within its own country. It is home to the Papal hierarchy and home to the head of the Catholic Church. This small country/city is the smallest in the world. It has been at its present location since the Lateran Treaty of 1929 which separated it from the rest of the papal lands. Up until that time the papal lands were being annexed into the Italian regions that surround the Vatican City.

The Vatican City is very small. It is roughly 110 acres surrounded by the city of Rome. It is the smallest country in the world and is also a city. The residents of this city number around 800. This makes it also the smallest populated city in the world. This small country has a rich, long history apart from the Holy See which is a different area altogether and should not be confused with the Vatican City.

The Vatican City has a long and rich history. It all started back before there was a Vatican City and the area was just a special part of Italy. It is said that the spire in the center of the circus was the site of the death of St. Peter. All around the circus are monuments to various saints and buildings that house the papal authorities. The area dates back to 1st century AD and has since become a holy place thanks to the Catholic Church refusing to remove its presence. It remained a place of sanctuary though it was not officially recognized as its own governing body until a treaty was signed by Benito Mussolini and Pietro Cardinal Gasparri in February of 1929.

The Vatican City was not always the residence of the Pope and his administration. For many years Popes governed other regions and at one time held a large portion of Italy's peninsula. That was until the mid 19th century when the rulers of Italy began to take over portions of the papal estates. Up until the mid 19th century many of the Popes ruled from the Lateran Palace, the Quirinal Palace and even at Avignon, France. In 1929 the Pope and his cabinet came to reside at the Vatican City courtesy of the treaty signed between King Victor Emmanuel III and Pope Pius XI.

The political system, or Holy See, of the Vatican City is very unique in nature to today's politics. The Pope is the last absolute monarch left in the world. This is called an absolute theocratic monarchy with him at the head of the Holy See. The political system is set up much like any other nations with a legislative, judicial and executive branch. The difference is that the Pope is the one to appoint all of the offices.

The legislative branch is in the hands of the Pontifical Commission for the Vatican City State which is made up of cardinals. Executive power is given to the President of the Commission and the foreign relations are given to the Secretariat of State.

The Vatican City is supported by contributions from Catholics throughout the world. Each of the donations comes in the form of church contributions or people sending money into the Vatican City's government to help support the rule of the Pope and his cabinet. There is also money made from tourist mementos, different fees for the museums, stamps and different publications.

The Vatican City is policed by the Pontifical Swiss Guard. You may be surprised to learn that prior to January 1506 the Pope and the Holy See once used Swiss mercenaries. Today the Guard continues to oversee the policing actions of the Pope and his cabinet. They accompany him everywhere with their brightly colored uniforms. It may be interesting to learn that only Catholic Swiss males are allowed into the Pontifical Swiss Guard. The policing force of the actual city, versus that of guarding the palace and the Pope is left in the hands of the Corpo della Gendarmeria.

Vatican City culture is incredible. There are enough museums and buildings to satisfy any tourist's urge for culture and education. You can visit St. Peter's Basilica and the Sistine Chapel where you can view some of the world's greatest artists in history. The Vatican Library houses millions of books from throughout history. If you go to the Vatican City you cannot miss the spire located in the middle of the circus. It is the site where Saint Peter was supposedly crucified.

There are millions and millions of people that visit the Vatican City annually to partake in Mass or to visit any one of the numerous museums and buildings. More remarkable than the amount of visitors is the amount of residents that live within the Vatican City. The population of the Vatican City is only 558. The requirements to live within the city are that you must work there or be an immediate family member of someone that works within the papal state.

If you compare the amount of crime to the number of citizens you would be astounded at how high the crime rate actually is but you have to keep in mind that the majority of crime occurs from the tourists and visitors that come to the Vatican City. One of the most common crimes is petty theft such as pick pocketing and shoplifting.

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Today's Tip On Vatican City

The term "Holy See" usually evokes images of Rome and the many buildings that one may see on the television when the Vatican City is shown. However, to understand what the term really means, one must understand that an actual difference exists between what is Vatican City and what is known as the Holy See. A person can take a trip back in time in order to learn more about how these two entities became synonymous with each other.