Vatican City the smallest country in the world
VATICAN CITY
Smallest Country in the world
WHAT YOU MAY NOT KNOW ABOUT THE VATICAN CITY - Vatican City the smallest country in the world
The Vatican City the smallest country in the world, headed by the Pope/Papal/Pontiff, Pope Francis (born Jorge Mario Bergoglio). Vatican City is an independent nation with its constitution, postal codes, flag, and anthem, it is located just a few kilometres from Rome and is technically surrounded by Rome, Italy. Vatican City is the headquarters of the Roman Catholic Church and is approximately 110 acres. It can be reached easily by metro or bus from downtown Rome. The Vatican is a sovereign country and not part of Italy as some may think.
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HOW DOES THE VATICAN CITY SUSTAIN ITSELF?
The Vatican does not collect taxes and support itself through its museums’ admissions, number plates, stamps sales, memorabilia, etc. mainly tourism brings in the money for this country.
CAN ANYONE LIVE IN VATICAN CITY?
No one except the Clergymen and Swiss Guards of the country (and their families) and are allowed to live in the Vatican City. Vatican City is a heavily guarded city. Every square inch of the Vatican has a camera. Everywhere, there are police guarding this place and keeping an eye on everyone. To enter into its Churches, you must go through heavy security screenings, similar procedures at the airport.
DRESS CODE WHEN VISITING THE VATICAN?!
When visiting the Vatican please be sure to dress appropriately. You are advised that visits to the churches, like St, Peter’s Basilica (free to the public) Sistine Chapel (at this Chapel, no camera/photography allowed) or the Museums, please cover up (knee-length, no shorter, and shoulders covered) and respect the sanctity of the state. The dress code applies to both men and women. Below are what you should not wear to the Vatican.
- Revealing Clothes
- Mini skirts
- Hats and Veils
- Sleeveless
- Short Pants
It must be pointed out that smoking, including electronic cigarettes, is forbidden in certain perimeters of the Vatican.
CHRISTMAS TIME IN VATICAN CITY
On Christmas Eve the Pope gives his Christmas service into midnight, also another on Christmas day (on the balcony). You are not guaranteed a seat for this service and are very lucky to find standing space within the courtyard and even luckier to snag a seat inside the church, where you get to see the pope up close.
His Christmas mass is very popular especially with Catholics Over the Holiday season several masses are being held until January. However, the Christmas mass and Easter are the most popular, these are the main when the Pope is present in the church, where you are lucky to be seated. The others, he appears on the St. Peter’s Basilica’s balcony to address the crowds.
CHRISTMAS MASS AT THE VATICAN
The Christmas mass is very special and is met with lots of heavy security. The courtyard, usually filled with lots of visitors, is cleared in preparation for this mass. The main way to get and secure a good seat in the church is to line up many hours before the mass, with ticket, if you have no ticket you stand in the courtyard. Even people without tickets, tend to line up for as much as 5 hours in advance, just to get the best vantage point in the courtyard.
HOW TO BE PART OF THE POPE’S (SEATED) AUDIENCE
Tickets for Papal’s mass/audience, especially the two most popular times, Christmas and Easter, must be applied for months in advance. Tickets can be obtained from the Vatican’s website and or the Swiss Guards through formal requests. The tickets are free but must be requested via writing directly to the Vatican and faxing the required information (name, amount requested, etc.) to be able to obtain tickets.
The entry point at the St. Peters’ courtyard is always filled with many people. To get into the St. Peter’s Basilica Church is normally met with very long lines. Those driving and wanting to park it could be a nightmare…no parking here, in the Vatican, the surrounding streets of the Vatican are lined on both sides with cars, finding a space to park can have a driver circling streets for a long time without luck, hence the reason these tiny cars are so popular in this part of the world.
WHAT TO EXPECT AT VATICAN CITY?!
Vatican City is a beautiful enclosed and heavily guarded city. It has several lovely museums and understandably, none are free to visit. In my view, the Vatican Museum is the most beautiful one to visit and is a treat, the spiral staircase is a definite must-see. The Vatican Garden is quite beautiful and well-manicured. There are also shops selling original Vatican memorabilia items on the compound. St. Peter’s Basilica Church is free to visit, and as I previously mentioned, the lines are extremely long to gain entry.
The Vatican Castle will be the first thing you will notice when you get to the area. It is a treat to go to the top and enjoy the view of the Vatican surroundings.
RECOMMENDED MUST-SEE AT THE VATICAN
- The Vatican Gardens
- The Vatican Museum
- Peters’ Basilica
- Sistine Chapel (no photos/cameras)
- Cupola di San Pietro
On the outskirts of the Vatican are many souvenir shops/booths surrounding the courtyard that are amazingly competitive. They sell many varieties of Vatican souvenir items like rosaries, candles, T-shirts and just about everything with the Vatican logo or the Pope’s face can be found here especially, for the staunch Catholics.
It is a must-visit if you are ever in Rome or any other part of Italy. I highly recommend visiting the Vatican City the smallest country in the world, so learn how to start saving for your next vacation.
MUST HAVE ESSENTIAL ITEMS FOR ALL TRAVELLERS
These are my essentials and gadgets I can never do without for a smooth and stress-free vacation. All are available on Amazon for direct links to the products and information and suggested uses .
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