Vatican City. Statues in St. Peter's Basilica, Maderno Fountain against St. Peter's Basilica, Water splashing from the fountain in St. Peter's Square in Rome on a sunny day, Piazza San Pietro (St. Peter's Square)
Vatican City. Statues in St. Peter's Basilica, Maderno Fountain against St. Peter's Basilica, Water splashing from the fountain in St. Peter's Square in Rome on a sunny day, Piazza San Pietro (St. Peter's Square)
Vatican City is a landlocked independent country, city-state, microstate, and enclave within Rome, Italy.It became independent from Italy in 1929 with the Lateran Treaty, and it is a distinct territory under "full ownership, exclusive dominion, and sovereign authority and jurisdiction" of the Holy See, itself a sovereign entity under international law, which maintains the city-state's temporal power and governance, diplomatic, and spiritual independence. With an area of 49 hectares and as of 2023 a population of about 764, it is the smallest state in the world both by area and by population. As governed by the Holy See, Vatican City State is an ecclesiastical or sacerdotal-monarchical state ruled by the Pope, who is the bishop of Rome and head of the Catholic Church. The highest state functionaries are all Catholic clergy of various origins. After the Avignon Papacy (1309–1377) the popes have mainly resided at the Apostolic Palace within what is now Vatican City, although at times residing instead in the Quirinal Palace in Rome or elsewhere. The Vatican is also a metonym for the Holy See.
Vatican City contains religious and cultural sites such as St. Peter's Basilica, the Sistine Chapel, the Vatican Apostolic Library, and the Vatican Museums. They feature some of the world's most famous paintings and sculptures. The unique economy of Vatican City is supported financially by donations from the faithful, by the sale of postage stamps and souvenirs, fees for admission to museums, and sales of publications. Vatican City has no taxes and items are duty-free.