The Vatican

This was not the first time, but the Vatican is certainly worth a second or a third visit.

What was known as the much larger Papal States seized to exist in 1870. It then took a few decades to establish the reduced temporal territories of the Papacy. The Vatican City State is the smallest state in the world with some 800 inhabitants. In its present form it was established in 1929.

It should be noted that the Vatican City is distinct from the Holy See, which is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, the Diocese of Rome, of which the Pope is the bishop and supreme Pontiff. The Diocese includes the City of Rome – with the Basilica of St. John Lateran, which is the official cathedral of the diocese … and the Vatican City with the Basilica of St. Peter, which thus is - only - one of four churches in Rome that hold the rank of "Major Basilica".

It’s however in the Vatican City where the Bishop of Rome, the Pope, has his residence, in the Apostolic Palace - most Popes have remained here since the return from Avignon in 1377 - and although not being the mother church of the Roman Catholic Church, nor the Cathedral of the Bishop of Rome, the Basilica of St. Peter is of course considered as one of the holiest Catholic sites.

The present Basilica, which replaced a former one with beginnings from the 4^th century, the old Constantinian basilica, was built between 1506 and 1626 with a number of successive plans with contributions of Bramante, Raphael  … and especially Michelangelo.

The St. Peter’s Piazza was created by Bernini between 1656 and 1667. In the middle stands an Egyptian obelisk from the 13th century BC, which was erected in Rome in 37 AD.  It’s referred to as “The Witness”, thought to have witnessed St. Peter’s crucifixion around 64 AD.

The Vatican “army” consists today of some 130 Swiss Guards. (The guards must be catholic, single males with Swiss citizenship…)

According to tradition, and some historical evidence, the main altar, the “baldacchino” by Bernini and the cupola (see also top picture) are just over the tomb of St. Peter – the first bishop of Rome - which can be visited underground, together with the tombs of a number of Popes and others. 

(The first time I saw Michealangelo's Pietà was at the New York's World Fair in 1965!)  

  

The Apostolic Palace contains the Papal Apartments, the Vatican Library… and the Vatican Museums where you can walk through a number of fresco decorated apartments and rooms and admire statues and paintings by Carvaggio, da Vinci, Fra Angelico…  and several by Raphael, including “The School of Athens” of which you can see a detail with da Vinci in the role of Plato…

… and a number of chapels, including the Sistine Chapel (photos not allowed), decorated by Botticelli… and of course especially known for the ceiling by Michelangelo.

Looking through the windows, you can also admire the Vatican Hill with some nice buildings and beautiful gardens.