Vatican City – Views from up high

April 29

Hello everyone!

You would think there may not be much to write about a country whose total boundaries are smaller than many shopping malls. But this little place certainly packs a punch. Especially when the big guy appears…

Pope Francis speaking from his balcony

Depending on where you look, definitions label the Vatican City as a city-state, micro-state, state or country. What they all agree is that the Vatican City is the smallest of its kind in the world. Over 38 million of them would fit in the largest version (Russia).

The Vatican City officially has
800 citizens

The land within its walls is 109 acres, or 44 hectares

I’ve talked before about these small places and what they have to offer a visitor. The Vatican does have a few spectacular trump cards up its sleeve. The main one is that it is the centre of the Roman Catholic Church, to which over a billion believers belong worldwide. Its spiritual home is St Peter’s Basilica, which took 120 years in total to build and was finished in 1626. 

The Papal States date back to 756 AD, though Popes
were de facto rulers since the fall of the Roman Empire

The dome was designed by Michelangelo

I have been here before, in 2008. Back then I was a naïve, obnoxious and pretty much broke 20-year-old. Some would argue that is still the case, though that is irrelevant to this piece (in my opinion). What it meant was that there was something I wanted to do which was now within my budget: climb to the top.

2008: unable to look good in a photo at the Vatican

2018: unable to look good in a photo at the Vatican

The dome is higher than it looks in pictures. At 120m, you could fit the Statue of Liberty – pedestal as well – underneath it and still have room to spare. To reach the top, you scale 551 steps up a passage which becomes increasingly narrow and curved at head height.

Some parts of the staircase are very narrow

The last part even has a rope to offer support

About halfway up, you re-enter the basilica. This sight is worth the €8 entrance alone.

View of St. Peter's from the gallery above

A metal mesh, which you can see on the sides of the picture,
is understandably used for safety 

The view from the top is also beautiful.

St. Peter's Square, with the city of Rome in the background

This young boy had no fear!

You can also see some quirks of the Vatican from up here, such as the world’s smallest national railway system and the gardens which actually compose most of the Vatican territory.

Two 300-metre tracks and one station make up the network

The gardens cover 57 acres, over half of the state

The Basilica dominates Piazza San Pietro (St Peter’s Square), which is in the shape of…an ellipse. The centrepiece of this is an obelisk which was transported from Egypt at the behest of Emperor Caligula in 37AD.

To the left of the square are the museums, which host
some of the world's most famous art pieces and the Sistine Chapel

The bronze ball on the obelisk was often believed to house
the ashes of Julius Caesar

This square, on Sundays and Wednesdays, is where people congregate to hear the leader of the Catholic Church. His birth name is Jorge Mario Bergoglio. Almost everyone else knows him as Pope Francis, which he has been since March 2013.

Bergoglio is originally from Argentina

He is the 266th Pope and the first from Latin America

There was quite a large crowd (not ideal when your small mob are trying to locate the rest of your school group) for the midday blessing. An excitable lot as well, which is understandable given Pope Francis’ status.

The crowds were from all around the world

Just after 12, he emerged from a window on the northern side of the square, commencing his sermon in Latin. Again, understandable that he does that as it’s their ‘national language’, but difficult for us to comprehend.

Much about this country in general is difficult to comprehend. The fact that the Pope has a standing army that dress like jesters. The fact that the country is recognised as the biggest wine drinker per person in the world (holy communion explains that one). The fact that no one can be born there.

The Swiss Guard is the smallest and oldest standing
army in the world (it started in 1506)

Vatican City has its own post office

What you realise when you visit is that the history and prestige of the place gives the Vatican City quite a special aura. It may be small in size but, as a spiritual home of over a billion Catholics, its power is large.

Inside St. Peter's Basilica

Love you all

Matt