The world's smallest country is located in the centre of Rome and is called Vatican City. It is home to the Pope, who is the head of state, Bishop of Rome and head of the Catholic Church. In the world's smallest country, you can see famous sights such as Michelangelo's ceiling painting, the Sistine Chapel and St Peter's Basilica. This microstate is located unnecessarily the city of Rome, which explains how small the country actually is!
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The world's smallest country
The population of Vatican City is around 800 - 1000 people according to various sources, of which only about 450 are citizens. The surface area is 0.44 km² (about the size of a large garden), making it the smallest country in the world. both in terms of population and surface area. The second smallest country in the world is Monaco, which is 2.02 square kilometres in size and has significantly more inhabitants (around 38,000), so the Vatican City State's status as the world's smallest country is fairly unchallenged.
Vatican City - an enclave in Rome
Vatican City is one of the smallest independent states in the world, located as an enclave in the centre of the Italian capital, Rome. Established in 1929 by the so-called Lateran Treaty, Vatican City is surrounded by a wall about 3200 metres long.
The geography of Vatican City includes the small area of less than half a square kilometre and parts of the Vatican Hill, or Vatican Hill, which gives the state its name. A few isolated buildings outside the wall are also included, such as the papal summer palace Castel Gandolfo and a number of churches such as Santa Maria Maggiore. Vatican City has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1984.
Why is Vatican City a separate state?
Vatican City was established in 1929 to give the Pope and the leadership of the Roman Catholic Church independence after a long conflict with the Italian state. The main function of Vatican City is to ensure the independence of the 'Holy See' (i.e. the seat of the Pope as Bishop of the Roman Catholic Church) so that the Pope and the Roman Catholic Church are not dependent on any other worldly power, as they were before 1929.
Although the Vatican City is small, the Catholic Church is large, with around 1.1 billion members worldwide.
Flag and national anthem
Vatican City has its own flag (yellow and white), its own national anthem (Charles Gounod's 'Marche Pontificale') and its own army (the Swiss Guard). In addition, the small state has its own courts, prison, post office and radio station. Vatican Radio broadcasts to more than 150 countries in 41 languages and aims to spread a worldwide community, especially among those isolated by distance or religious persecution.
Visiting the world's smallest country
The Vatican City is the smallest country in the world, while being visited by very many tourists. The logistics of this speak for themselves. The queues will be long. The best way to avoid queuing is to buy tickets online in advance.
We are not sure where to buy the best tickets or which tours are the best, but we bought our tickets at this page. We booked a guided tour and were able to walk right past all the long winding queues - great!
Tourists in the world's smallest country
When visiting Vatican City, you should be prepared to be crowded with many other tourists. As the Vatican City is the smallest country in the world, also in terms of surface area, this means that the large number of tourists have to be crammed into a very small area. No wonder that it is extremely crowded.
It's hard to blame others for the crowds when you contribute to them, but maybe it's better to visit Vatican City at another time of year? We were here on a sunny day in mid-September, and while it's certainly always crowded, it might be a little quieter in the off-season.
Vatican Museums
In Vatican City there is a group of museums called the Vatican Museums (Musei Vaticani). There are large collections of paintings, sculptures and tapestries. The Sistine Chapel and the Stanze di Raffaello rooms, which contain frescoes by the artist Raphael, are also part of the museum complex.
During the guided tour we booked, there was a lot of focus on paintings and statues, but there are also other guided tours to choose from. Although there was perhaps a bit too much focus on paintings for our taste, we must say that it was fascinating to visit this place! The halls are impressively beautiful and not least the beautifully decorated ceilings.
Frescoes in Vatican City
There are so many paintings, or so-called frescoes, to admire. The most famous painting we saw was the "School of Athens" (Scuola di Atene) painted by the Renaissance painter Raphael. This fresco was painted between 1509 and 1511 and depicts several famous Greek philosophers.
Tapestries in Vatican City
One room was also filled with very detailed and well-made tapestries, or weavings, depicting various religious events. What work it must have been to complete these!
Statues in Vatican City
Impressive statues are everywhere, both in the grand halls and in the various outdoor courtyards. For example, we entered a circular hall with statues lining the walls. The only bronze statue is of Hercules.
St Peter's Square in Vatican City
Towards the end of the tour we visited St Peter's Square, an impressive and grandiose meeting place surrounded by large columns. St Peter's Square is named after the Apostle Peter, who was martyred around 64 AD and is believed to have been buried here. It was designed by the architect Giovanni Lorenzo Bernini and built between 1659 and 1667.
The columns contain a total of 140 statues of various saints. These were not completed during the architect's lifetime, and work on their completion continued into the 1720s.
St Peter's Basilica in Vatican City
In St Peter's Square is St Peter's Basilica (Basilica di San Pietro in Vaticano). This church is not just any church, but boasts of being the main church of Catholicism. At the high altar there is a recessed space called the 'Confessio' which was created to maintain direct contact with the tomb of the Apostle Peter.
In the dome is a quote from the Gospel of St Matthew in Latin, which roughly translates as "You are Peter and on this rock I will build my church. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven'. Construction of the basilica began in 1506 and it was not until 120 years later, in 1626, that it was consecrated by Pope Urban VIII.
Sistine Chapel
Right next to St Peter's Square and St Peter's Basilica, there are also Sistine Chapelwhich is the Pope's private chapel in the Vatican. The chapel was designed by the architect Baccio Pontelli and built in 1473-1481 by order of Sixtus IV. Several painters contributed to the interior, most famously Michelangelo, who painted the ceiling with scenes from the creation story. The chapel also contains Michelangelo's famous painting The Last Judgment.
Pope in the world's smallest country
The Pope is the supreme leader of Vatican City and the Catholic Church. It is said that the Pope sits on the 'Chair of Peter', indicating that he is the apostle's successor as Bishop of Rome and God's representative on earth. The current Pope is Francis, from Buenos Aires, Argentina. Francis is the 266th Pope of the Catholic Church and was elected to the office in a 'conclave' in 2013.
Francis is the first non-European to be elected Pope since Gregory III in 741. Described as traditional, he has, for example, advocated the empowerment of women in the Church and expressed opposition to the marginalisation of homosexuals.
Video from the world's smallest country
Peter has filmed and edited a short film from the world's smallest country. Don't miss checking it out!
Our visit to the world's smallest country
Visiting the smallest country in the world was interesting, and perhaps above all different. Even though Vatican City is a state, it is not a country to be compared to other countries in the world. If you are in Rome, we definitely recommend a visit to this different country!
See more in Rome and Italy
If you're visiting the world's smallest country, that means you're in Italy's capital, Rome. Despite being a large city (Europe's 8th largest), Rome has a cosy and friendly feel to it. It's nice to just wander around the alleys and squares, and occasionally sit down at a nice restaurant or outdoor café.
Rome also offers plenty of interesting history and exciting sights, such as the Colosseum, the Roman Forum, the Spanish Steps and the Trevi Fountain. And there is much more to see around Italy!
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Facts about Vatican City - the world's smallest country
- What country? Vatican City
- Capital city? Vatican City (part of Rome)
- Statehood? Church state, absolute electoral monarchy
- Language? Italian (de facto) and Latin
- Residents? about 800-1000 people
- Currency? Euro
- Time difference? None
- Religion? Christianity (Catholicism)
- National anthem? Inno e Marcia Pontificale
Travelling to Vatican City
- Flight: There are direct flights from Stockholm Arlanda to Rome, including SAS and Norwegian. The flight time is 3 hours and 10 minutes.
- Car: The driving time from Stockholm to Rome is about 28 hours, counting pure driving distance. There are several ferry crossings from Sweden to choose from.
Opening hours in Vatican City
- Current opening hours may vary. Check the current opening hours at the Vatican Museums, among other places. website.
- Vatican Museums: Monday-Saturday open 09:00-18:00 (last entry 16:00). Last Sunday of the month open 09:00-14:00 (last entry 12:30) (2019).
- St Peter's Church: Every day from 07:00. The church closes at 18:00 some times of the year and 19:00 other times of the year.
Things to consider when visiting the Vatican City State
- Come in good time and be prepared to queue, or buy tickets online in advance to bypass the queue.
- Dress respectfully for visits to churches and other religious buildings. It may be appropriate to wear clothing that covers at least the shoulders and knees.
- Baggage and large bags must be left in the designated area before entering the museum area.
- Dogs and other animals are not allowed in the museums (except for guide dogs, in which case contact the museums in advance).
- Photography is allowed, except in the Sistine Chapel. Flashes and tripods are not allowed.
Accommodation in Vatican City
- There are plenty of hotels and other accommodations to choose from near the world's smallest country. We stayed at the small and cosy hotel Room91, which is right next to Vatican City.
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Cattis says:
Vatican City is pretty cool to visit but as you point out quite crowded and long queues...but it really is one of those "must see once in a lifetime" things.
en: Oh, what fun! Where in Greece is Peter going then?:)
14 September 2017 - 7:43
Helena says:
Yes, it felt a bit like a "mouse see"... 😉 Peter goes to a place called Kassandra.
14 September 2017 - 17:46
JoY says:
The Swiss Guards look great in their colourful clothes.
Sometime in the early 1980s, the Pope waved to me from his window.
Hugs
14 September 2017 - 8:33
Helena says:
I didn't realise this was the Swiss Guard, but now I've read up on it, so thank you for letting me learn a bit more! 🙂
14 September 2017 - 17:47
Ama de casa says:
I was also waved to by the Pope, but in the 90s. Or if it was someone else they had put in the window? hard to say. Wasn't exactly alone there...
Rome has so much to offer! Especially that little country in the city 😀.
14 September 2017 - 9:17
Helena says:
How he waved to everyone then ... He certainly didn't wave to us. Could have been because he was abroad somewhere during our visit ... 😉.
14 September 2017 - 17:48
Mr Steve says:
A lasting memory of my visit to Rome some 20 years ago was that everything became incredibly expensive as soon as you approached the Vatican. Tourist trap?
14 September 2017 - 9:42
Helena says:
We stayed close to the Vatican in a hotel that seemed affordable. We paid a lot for the tickets, however, because we booked a guided tour.
14 September 2017 - 17:50
Across the board says:
To visit Rome without making a visit to the Vatican City is to miss something, I think. Sure, it gets a little slow with all the statues but still fascinating that they exist! We bought tickets in advance on Viatorcom.se and it worked very well. Didn't think it was soooo crowded either, but we were there in October.
14 September 2017 - 12:49
Helena says:
Well, we were still glad we made the visit! And I can imagine that it is a bit quieter in October. The beginning of September is perhaps still almost high season ...
14 September 2017 - 17:50
Britt-Marie Lundgren says:
Our most enduring memory of the Vatican is probably when we trotted up 551 steps to the dome of St Peter's Basilica and were able to look out over the whole of Rome and look down at all the statues on the roof. In 2012 it was free to take photos in the church. I visited the Sistine Chapel during my first chaotic visit to Rome and it was really packed with people.
14 September 2017 - 12:54
Helena says:
Cool with the view! We were also inside the Sistine Chapel. Lots of people and no photography allowed.
14 September 2017 - 21:32
Marina says:
It's amazing that this state exists! I'm sure many of them are "tourist traps", but it's definitely something I'll visit the day I come to Rome (it's still on my "to-visit-list").
14 September 2017 - 13:18
Ruth in Virginia says:
I have been to the Vatican twice. Both times it was the
Sistine Chapel that made the biggest impression on me. Taking
on the neck then to go and look up at the ceiling. 🙂
Everything is magnificent. Imagine the riches of the Catholic Church...
has and has had; not to mention influence, as in South America, for example.
Swiss guards are soooo attractive. If you have time, google and
read about the conditions that men have to fulfil in order to be able to
be accepted for the job. 🙂
14 September 2017 - 18:14
Matts Torebring says:
What a culture you have become. I see. Then we have one more country to visit. I knew it existed, of course, but it has been forgotten.
14 September 2017 - 18:37
BP says:
A great film again:-)
Spontaneously I think like you - slightly too many and rather overwhelming paintings, but an incredibly powerful overall impression!!!!
I also can't help but wonder how to clean the tapestries on the walls - what dust collectors;-)
That ball, on the other hand, is right up my street. Googled and found this, among other things:
http://vatican.com/photos/gallery/the_sphere_within_a_sphere-p44
14 September 2017 - 20:21
s p i n d e l t j e j e n says:
Love the Vatican! So powerful 😀 And beautiful!
15 September 2017 - 8:11
smiley says:
it is actually called Vatican City
10 March 2021 - 9:41
Elisabeth says:
I have been at different times in Rome over the years, spring, summer or autumn. Often there have been lots of people, but you seem to have had an extra crowd when you were in the Sistine Chapel. I haven't gone with a guide group but went on my own with a guidebook. Don't know if that can make a difference.
16 September 2017 - 16:13