On the map, this hole in the middle of the Italian "boot" is adjacent to another, more - San Marino. In both cases, could not have done without the intervention of higher powers, because the Vatican is an independent state because its territory is the Holy See. Only in the case with the Vatican, the hole is relatively new, it was formed in 1929 through an agreement signed between Mussolini and the pope, who decided to territorial disputes in state and church (the clergy had owned the whole area in the territory of modern Italy).
Saint Peter's dome
However, unofficially the Vatican, there are about two thousand years. In translation the name of this place, the hill Mons Vaticanus means "place of divination. " In ancient times, it no man dwelt, because the hill was considered sacred. Later, at the alleged burial site of St. Peter built the temple and began to occupy the area around.
Vatican euro coinage
Vatican City is surrounded by a wall and inhabited mostly by priests and guards, and attendants (about three thousand people) - Italian citizens who go to work in a neighboring state. Interestingly, the local citizenship is not inherited and can only get it by serving the Holy See, the dismissal is void, and the child, who happened to be born in the territory of the Vatican, will be entitled only to Italian citizenship. At the same time Vatican citizenship extends to relatives of the citizen, subject to cohabitation.
Swiss Guards
Incidentally, the Vatican's army already 510 years old and she is the oldest in the world and carefully maintains the age-old tradition: the form of Swiss Guards protecting peace dad, created based on sketches by Michelangelo. Soldiers before you get into this elite unit are subjected to rigorous selection, which was successfully held only bachelor in the age of 30 years, rising no less than 174 centimeters.
On the roof of the Cathedral of St. Peter
More than half of the country gardens and occupy all the country's leadership has paid much attention to environmental protection - are the first to ratify the Kyoto Protocol and the plan to achieve a zero balance in CO2 emissions by growing trees. Moreover, since the territory of the Vatican, many trees are not planted, it will be done through a national park in Hungary, contributed by the Vatican. In addition, some of the roofs of the city are set plate solar panels.
St. Peter's Square from the roof of the cathedral
Main Attractions Vatican religious and cultural plan. In local museums assembled the greatest collection in the world of art.
Cathedral of St. Peter according to tradition was built on the burial site of St. Peter. This is the main Catholic church of the world's largest in size - it holds 60,000 people. The building was built over two centuries, beginning with 1506. Almost all of the major architects of Italy in turn participated in the design and construction of the Cathedral of St.. Peter. In 1506, he was approved by the project architect Donato Bramante. After Bramante's death led the construction of Raphael. And finally, in 1546, guided the work was entrusted by Michelangelo Buonarroti. In 2007 the Vatican archives were discovered last work Michelangelo executed shortly before his death. This sketch, which depicts a red chalk part of one of the radial columns that make up the drum of the dome of St. Peter's in Rome.
At St. Peter's Basilica has its own mosaic workshop. Inside the cathedral and the amazing harmony of proportions, and its vast size and richness of design - is the mass of statues, altars, tombs, lots of great works of art. Inside the cathedral is a statue of St.. Peter, whose feet are hand polished to a shine tourists rushing to touch them for luck.
But back to the attractions of the Vatican. Vatican Loggia - another creation of human hands. In 1514 Raphael was asked to decorate their frescoes. Rafael with his students worked on murals for two years. Numerous tracks are devoted to biblical stories of Genesis. Interestingly, the same number of them have previously used by Michelangelo - when painting the Sistine Chapel ceiling. In Raphael Loggias affects not only the composition, but also ornamental: the artist has depicted the plants and fantastic creatures, mimicking the pattern of grottoes of the Golden House "of the emperor Nero. However, St Petersburg were lucky: they have at the behest of Catherine II, along the western shore of the Winter Canal was built the building with a loggia of Raphael (copies of full-size). These Russian Loggia of Raphael, and make us happy today (Hermitage): in the museum they have been preserved much better affected by dampness Vatican originals.
St. Peter's Square in front of the Cathedral of St.. Peter - in the form of two symmetrical half-circles, admire its grandeur. Middle - an Egyptian obelisk brought to Rome by Emperor Caligula. Medieval Romans believed that a metal ball on top of the obelisk is stored the ashes of Julius Caesar. Sistine Chapel former home church in the Vatican. It was built by order of Pope Sixtus IV, hence the name. Group of Florentine artists were invited to Rome, where, along with other masters in the years 1481-83. adorned the walls of the Sistine Chapel. The walls encircle the two cycles: the story of Christ and the story of Moses. These frescoes contain many portraits of historical figures.
According to legend, in the XIX century the papacy under the name of John VIII for two years was a woman. Adventuress was exposed only when the middle of the solemn liturgy, she went into labor. Since the Cardinals have not had fluttered to her aid, maternal and infant died on the spot. They say that afterwards, some contenders for the papacy passed the procedure of identification of sex in a chair with a slot. History popess Joan has inspired many authors (eg, Pushkin), but the official Vatican denies it. But in vain!
Now the Vatican has its own station, Radio (based, incidentally, the very Marconi - the inventor of radio), TV (broadcasts programs with religious content - the Mass, sermons, concerts), mail, publishing house, a drugstore, a supermarket, a helipad and first level domain in interente ( . va). The budget of this mini-state is about $ 300 million and is replenished by donations faithful Catholics, which many around the world, as well as by selling souvenirs to tourists, charging entrance fees to museums, issue stamps, minting of coins (euros with an image of Pope ) and, oddly enough, the banking activities. In the Vatican's own special way! Even the Vatican bank ATM interface supports Latin.
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