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The unique city-state of the Vatican, whose name in Latin means “place of fortune-telling”. From the name of the hill Mons Vaticanus. The Vatican is located in the west of Rome. The medieval wall that surrounds the state is distinguished by its uniqueness.
The area of the state is only 0,44 sq. Km. It has its own post office, printing house, radio station, railway station. The main sources of income are donations from Catholics and tourism.
The miniature “country” attracts with its uniqueness. The sights of the Vatican are world famous. As the saying goes, “the spool is small, but expensive.”
Despite its small size, the Vatican offers a range of distinctive attractions that will not leave any visitor disappointed. Here once again you are convinced that you need to travel!
What to see in the Vatican
- St. Peter’s Square;
- Egyptian obelisk in St. Peter’s Square;
- St. Peter’s Cathedral;
- The Sistine Chapel;
- Raphael’s Stanzas;
- Vatican Apostolic Library (closed to tourists);
- museums.
St. Peter’s Square, St. Peter’s Cathedral, on the right, the Papal Palace
St. Peter’s Square
Upon entering the territory of the Vatican, a large St. Peter’s Square opens up in front of you. There is also an incredibly beautiful Cathedral of St. Peter of a huge size, and a beautiful colonnade leads to it. This square can accommodate 400 people.
St. Peter’s Square designed by Giovanni Bernini. Construction 1656-1667
At St. Peter’s Square. Bernini fountain – 1614
Egyptian obelisk
In the center of the square is an Egyptian obelisk brought to Rome by Emperor Caligula. According to legend, he decorated the circus of Nero, in which the Apostle Peter was executed and in the place of which a cathedral was erected.
Egyptian obelisk in St. Peter’s Square
Saint Paul’s Cathedral
It is a Catholic cathedral, the largest historic Christian church in the world, and the ceremonial center of the Roman Catholic Church. The capacity is about 60 people.
Inside, the cathedral amazes with its harmony of proportions, and its huge size, and richness of decoration. There are many statues, altars, tombstones, many wonderful works of art.
Entrance to St. Peter’s Cathedral. The balcony in the center is the place where the Pope speaks to the people.
On the sides of the upper part of the facade of St. Peter’s Basilica there is a clock added in the XNUMXth century.
Dome in St. Peter’s Basilica, designed by Michelangelo.
Holy gates in St. Peter’s Basilica. Opens only on the Jubilee Year. All who pass through the gate receive absolution. The next Jubilee year is 2025.
The Sistine Chapel
The Sistine Chapel is a church that was built in 1473-1481. by order of Pope Sixtus IV, where the name comes from. Its walls are decorated with frescoes by the great genius Michelangelo.
Taking pictures inside the Sistine Chapel is prohibited. Here, this is strictly monitored by law enforcement officers. Today the chapel is a museum, an outstanding monument of the Renaissance. Meetings of cardinals are held in the Sistine Chapel, where a new pope is elected.
Papal palace
As you know, the Pope lives in the Vatican. The Papal Palace is distinguished by its special beauty and grandeur. The scope of this creation of architecture is incredible – more than a thousand rooms, a unique library. There is also a museum and a chapel.
Papal Palace. View from St. Peter’s Square
“Raphael’s Stanzas”
This is the name of the four rooms (rooms) in the Papal Palace with frescoes by Raphael, painted in 1508-1517. a young artist and his students.
Vatican Museums
Museums are a complex of museums located on the territory of the Vatican. Their richest collections were created by popes and contain artwork by classical masters, including works from the Renaissance. The museums were founded by Pope Julius II at the beginning of the 54th century. The museums have XNUMX halls (galleries).
Pinakothek. Belvedere Palace
Pinia’s yard. Library building
Interesting is the Yard of the Pinia (Pine cone). The courtyard is named after a huge bronze cone-fountain (1608st – XNUMXnd century AD), which was located on the Champ de Mars. In XNUMX, a pine cone was placed in front of the library.
Sculpture “Earth Globe” (1990). The original name is “Sfera Con Sfera”, the diameter is 4 meters. The sculpture has the ability to rotate. Consists of two spheres – a small (planet) is located in a large (Universe). The ball has a special philosophical meaning: we are destroying the planet, we are destroying the Universe.
Fountain of Pine (Pine cone) I-II century A.D.
The doors for guests are always open at the Museum of Egyptian Art, where you can plunge into the ancient world of the great people. The Etruscan Museum is no exception, as well as the Museums: Pio Clementino, Historical, Chiaramonti.
All these museums are original and unique. And the Pinakothek of Italian painting will delight you with real masterpieces of art from the period of the XIV-XVII centuries.
Guardian at the Vatican. The guardsman’s uniform has not changed for over 400 years!
The Vatican also delights guests with a number of other attractions that will make an unforgettable impression on visitors. Nobody will be disappointed from this unique country-city.
All the attractions of the Vatican are a huge treasury of art for history, architecture and painting lovers.
This is what the Rome-Vatican border looks like
Useful information for tourists
Most of the souvenir shops are located outside the Vatican. And there are breaks in their work. Church shops have their own individual working hours. At the same time, shops do not provide their services on Monday, Sunday and any religious holidays.
To admire the painting of the ceiling and dome, it is best to use binoculars, which will allow you to see all the greatness of the drawings to the smallest detail. During the excursions, you have to walk a lot, so it is recommended to take care of comfortable shoes. There is a strict smoking ban.
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