About Vatican City

Vatican City is a landlocked sovereign city state situated within the city of Rome. Covering about forty four hectares and home to fewer than one thousand residents, it is the smallest independent state in the world by both area and population. Its territory forms a walled enclave that has been closely associated with the papacy for many centuries.

The city state is ruled by the Bishop of Rome, the Pope, and serves as the sovereign territory of the Holy See. The Apostolic Palace is the Pope’s official residence, and the area that became Vatican City in 1929 has been the principal home of successive popes since their return from Avignon in the fourteenth century.

Vatican City is renowned for its cultural and artistic heritage. St Peter’s Basilica, the Sistine Chapel and the Vatican Museums contain some of the most celebrated works of art in the world, attracting millions of visitors each year. The city’s identity is shaped by its religious significance, its long history and its unique role within the heart of Rome.

The modern city state was formally established in 1929, and it remains distinct from the Holy See, which represents the spiritual and administrative leadership of the Catholic Church. Vatican City maintains its own institutions, issues its own passports and publishes its ordinances in Italian, while the Holy See continues to use Latin for many of its official documents.