Vatican CityCapital
Vatican City · Country profile
Vatican City is the smallest sovereign state on earth, the walled heart of the Catholic Church that spreads its basilica, its palaces, its museums and its gardens across a little hill of the west of the river, entirely enclosed within the city of Rome. The seat of the pope and the residence of the Holy See, it is both a fully sovereign nation and the smallest country of the world, its territory holding the tomb of the apostle, the greatest church of Christendom and one of the richest museum complexes of the earth. The basilica with its miraculous dome, the famous chapel with its painted ceiling and its last judgment, the museums and the gardens anchor the essential visits, while the great piazza with its colonnades and its obelisk frames the ceremonial heart of the faith. Sacred, monumental and impossibly compact, Vatican City is the spiritual capital of a sixth of humanity.
About Vatican City
Vatican City is the capital of Vatican City. The city's documented population is around 800 people. For visitors from abroad, the local currency is the Euro (EUR) and Italian and Latin are spoken; the dialling code is +379.
The Basilica of the Peter and the Square of the Obelisk
The state is small enough to walk across in an hour, but its visits are governed by one of the great museums of the world and by the great crowds of the faithful. The essential route runs from the great piazza through the basilica to the famous chapel and the museum miles, with the climb of the dome giving the panorama over the whole of Rome. The guards in their medieval uniforms, the post office with its famous stamps and the ceremonies of the square frame the small-business life of the tiny nation. The garden hills and the courtyards of the state give the calm corners, and the crowds, the queues and the security of the modern age are simply part of the extraordinary pilgrimage.
The Chapel of the Sistine and the Museums of the Vatican
The climate follows the great city around it, with the hot, dry summer, the mild, rainy winter and the long pleasant spring and autumn, and the crowds of the pilgrims peak at the religious holidays and the papal audiences of the year. The euro is the currency, the Italian the language and the English the common second tongue, and the tickets for the museums and the audience passes are the essential forward bookings. The piazza and the basilica are free, the museum route needs the timed entry, and modest dress covering the shoulders and the knees is strictly enforced throughout the state. Comfortable shoes, a small water bottle and early starts complete the preparation for the compact capital of the faith.
The Gardens of the State and the Guards of the Swiss
The basilica of the apostle, the greatest church of Christendom with its vast nave, its towering altars, its moving sculpture of the mother of the world and its dome that rises above the tomb of the apostle, anchors the visit, and the climb through the dome gives the legendary panorama over the colonnades and the roofs of the city. The famous chapel, with its painted ceiling of the creation and its monumental last judgment on the altar wall, is the supreme treasure of the Renaissance, while the corridors of the museums, with their classical, the Egyptian and the contemporary galleries and the famous spiral staircase, hold one of the great art collections of humanity. The guards with their Renaissance uniforms, the sovereign postage of the tiny post office and the celebrations of the great festivals in the piazza, with its colonnades and its obelisk, complete the extraordinary surface of the smallest state on earth, while the whole of the great city lies at its gates. Sacred, overwhelming and truly one of a kind, the Vatican City is the heart of the Church and a wonder of the world.
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- Country
- Vatican City
- Population
- 800
- Capital
- Vatican City
- Region
- Europe
- Currency
- Euro (EUR)
- Languages
- Italian, Latin
- Calling code
- +379
- Country code
- VA
Entry requirements for Vatican City
Visa status for travellers from common origins visiting Vatican City for tourism.
Frequently asked questions
Is Vatican City the capital of Vatican City?
Yes — Vatican City is the capital of Vatican City.
What currency do I need in Vatican City?
The local currency is the Euro (EUR). Languages spoken in Vatican City include Italian and Latin.
What is the dialling code for Vatican City?
The international dialling code for Vatican City is +379.
Do I need a visa to visit Vatican City?
It depends on your passport. For the origins we track, the current tourism visa status is Morocco (visa required). Check the entry requirements tool for your own nationality.
Flying out of Vatican City? Check the entry requirements for your destination in our entry requirements tool before you fly.