Vatican City St. Peter's Basilica
Vatican City is a landlocked, walled sovereign city state located on the right bank of Rome's Tiber River. It is the official home of the Pope, who has full legal, executive, and judicial powers over the city. Upon entering Vatican City, you will be encircled by St. Peter's Square. This plaza in front of St. Peter's Basilica was meticulously designed and has evolved over hundreds of years. An Egyptian obelisk dating from 13th Century BC is the centerpiece of the square, flanked on two sides by beautiful fountains.

The Sistine Chapel is inside the Apostolic Palace in Vatican City. It is most famous for the masterpieces painted by some of the greatest renaissance artists, most notably, the ceiling, painted by Michelangelo in 1508 which is where the new Pope is selected.

At two football fields in length, and capable of holding up to 60,000 worshippers, St. Peter's Basilica is the largest church in Christianity. It received its name by being the burial site of Saint Peter, one of Jesus' 12 apostles. The Basilica's dome, designed by Michelangelo, is one of the largest in the world. It is nearly 140 feet in diameter, and rises to nearly 400 feet over the church's floor.

Fun Facts

• Covering only .44 square kilometers, the Vatican is the smallest independent nation in the world.


• The religious themes painted throughout the Sistine chapel are divided into three parts: before the Ten Commandments were given to Moses, between Moses' and Christ' birth, and Christianity afterwards.


• There are over 100 tombs located beneath St. Peter's Basilica.

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Vatican City