What’s unique about the Vatican?

It is generally familiar that Vatican City is the smallest state in the world, which occupies just 44 ha. It is the administrative territory of the Holy See, which is the Pope and the Roman Curia. Both the Vatican and The Holy See are an important cultural, religious and historical center, as well as a … Read more

Where Is the Vatican?

The Vatican, or officially Vatican City State, is the last remnant of once powerful Papal States. The term Vatican was in use all the way back to the Roman Republic, denoting the marshy area on the west bank of Tiber, across the ancient city. The area was considered sacred and for a long time it … Read more

Vatican Library

The Vatican Apostolic Library, which is the full title of what is commonly called the Vatican Library, was formally established in 1475. The library itself is, of course, much older, and is one of the oldest libraries in the world. Pope Nicholas V was a known bibliophile and one of his goals for improvement of … Read more