Sovereign State Within a City

When I started planning my trip to Rome I knew I wanted hit the main sites. This included the Trevi Fountain, Coliseum, Roman Forums, Arch de Constantine, the Pantheon and the Vatican City. I knew this would be tough since I only planned to be there for less then two days. We quickly discovered that Rome is a relatively small city and as we wandered through the narrow ally ways it seemed that just about every time we turned a corner there was something to see. It almost became a natural feeling to stumble upon the Trevi Fountain or hang out at the Spanish Steps without thinking ‘wow, I am in Rome!’ There is definitely no need to take any kind of metro or bus from place to place and I feel like this would limit what all there is to ‘run into.’

Our trip to Vatican City was a little different. It requires some strategic planning like what to wear and when to go to avoid mass crowds. I thought

Vatican City was a very interesting even without knowing anything about the politics of this place. All I was familiar with was that the Pope lives there and I needed to go see St. Peters Basilica. The area was truly beautiful. The street leading to the city with the site of the basilica in the distance and the overwhelming size of the pillars surrounding the plaza are a site to see. After waiting in a short 15 minute line we were required to cover our shoulders and pull down what we already thought were our long enough skirts to enter the St. Peters Basilica. Just simply entering the church is breathtaking! The architecture of the building is impressive as is the art on the walls and ceilings. St. Peters tomb in the center of the church is a gorgeous combination of woodcarvings and gold. Experiencing this important city meant a lot more to me after I left. It started as just a visit to a landmark not knowing anything about it. As we were leaving Leah just mentioned, “isn’t it neat that Vatican City is pretty much its own country?” I was kind of surprised by that since I had no idea and thought it was a city within Rome and part of Rome. I asked Leah what exactly she meant by this. She didn’t know much other than it is the only place where there are Swiss guards and they have another currency in addition to the Euro. This information intrigued me and made me want to further research it.

Vatican City was founded after the signing of the Lateran Pacts between the Holy See and Italy in 1929. (The Holly See is the universal government of the Catholic Church and operates from the Vatican City). This treaty makes Vatican City its own sovereign State with a central government that consists of the Pope and the departments that assist him. For example, the Pope’s bodyguards, Pontifical Swiss Guards, are the last of the old-school mercenaries and have been the army of the Vatican for over 500 years. These guards are still trained and combat ready although there are only about 130 or so men as of 2003. These men guard the five entrances to the city. When I saw these guards it was almost hard to take them seriously as trained military men. Their uniforms consist of bright red, yellow and blue puffy suits and matching helmet and socks.

The geography and territory of the Vatican City is also a very important aspect of what makes the city its own State. The city covers about 100 acres with a population of 800 people and includes a front square, Basilica, gardens and museums all of which is surrounded by a distinct territory. The surrounding wall that stretches into St. Peter’s Square marks the outer boundary as well as the international protection of the territory.

After reading so much about the Vatican City it would be really neat to go back. I feel like I went there just to see it and didn’t really get that much out of it. Although I enjoyed walking around St. Peter’s Basilica and have beautiful pictures there was so much more I could have done. While researching I found a list of about 19 different museums, which included the famous Sistine Chapel, and pictures of the Vatican gardens and other palaces. I had spent a total of 30 minutes walking around the Basilica and the square and wondered why people said going to Vatican City was almost a day trip, now I understand why. For future traveler, my advice is look into the Vatican City BEFORE you go so you know what all is there and what to see.

This website is great for more information on just about everything you need to know about Vatican City