Where Is the Vatican Located?

Vatican City is a sovereign city-state located in a walled enclave within northwestern Rome in Italy and is the world’s smallest independent country. Although the city has been in existence for nearly a thousand years, it only became a state in 1929. Vatican City established this sovereignty following a conflict between the Catholic Church and the Italian government and power in Rome.

Vatican City is named for Vatican Hill, which the city lays at the base of. It is located west of the Tiber river and bordered by a city wall designed to keep the area completely secure.

The entire city is about 110 squared acres, has a population of about eight hundred and is where leadership for the Roman Catholic Church is conducted, with the Pope acting as a head of state.

Vatican Structures

Some of the more famous structures that Vatican City boasts include St. Peter’s Basilica, the Apostolic Palace and the Sistine Chapel.

St. Peter's Basilica

St. Peter’s Basilica holds the world’s largest church, accommodating up to 60,000 individuals at a single mass. It is known to be one of the holiest sites in Catholic dogma and is named for Peter, one of the twelve apostles of Jesus Christ due to the location of St. Peter’s tomb below the altar of the basilica.

Emperor Constantine commissioned a basilica be built there in the 4th century, but the degradation of the premises led to a rebuilding in the 16th and 17th centuries. It is regarded as one of the greatest and most beautiful buildings built in its age. Its beauty is credited mostly to Michelangelo, who took over much of the architectural work in the 16th century. The basilica is complimented by St. Peter’s Square, a spacious area outside featuring two main fountains, a large obelisk and hundreds of surrounding columns.

Apostolic Palace

There are over a thousand rooms in the complex of the Apostolic Palace, many decorated by some of the most renowned renaissance artists in history. It consists of many buildings and includes the official residence of the Pope, the Sistine Chapel, the Vatican museums and the Vatican Library. Humbly enough, the Pope’s residence is currently in a room that once belonged to a servant centuries before.

Sistine Chapel

The Sistine Chapel is one of the most famous components of the Apostolic Palace. This chapel boasts the most pivotal art within the Vatican City and even Rome itself with décor by Michelangelo, Bernini, Raphael and Botticelli. Much of the work is considered the crowning achievements of these artists, especially for Michelangelo’s accomplishment with the painting of the ceiling, which features his depiction of the Last Judgment and with his iconic portrayal of the creation of Adam.

Vatican Library

The Vatican Library is accessible only to scholars with special permission. The modern library was constructed in the 1500s, but its holdings are immense and its archives date back to the 4th century.

Gardens at the Vatican

There are many gardens that span the property which compose about half of the city’s space. These peaceful gardens feature many statues and fountains and was commissioned by Pope Nicholas III in the 13th century and many of the original plantings still exist.

Vatican City as a Sovereign City

Vatican City has its own flag, postal system, media and its magazine the Roman Observer has worldwide circulation.  Although it does not possess a military, the Swiss Guard acts as a protective, defensive body for the Pope, aids with civilian security and acts as a police force around the city.

The city is even solar-powered—there are 2000 solar panels along the roof of the Paul VI Audience Hall and when power isn’t needed for the hall, it is diverted to the city’s electric grid. In 2007, Vatican City declared itself to be the first carbon neutral state and offset carbon emissions by maintaining the Vatican Climate Forest in Hungary. In many ways, this city-state effectively bridges old and new.