Vatican city

25 facts about vatican

1. The Vatican is its own country – and the smallest in the world.
2. The city-state is ruled by the bishop of Rome – The Pope.
3. The Vatican Museums contain one of the largest art collections in the world, with over 9 miles of pieces, which could wrap four and half times around the Vatican walls. Its 1400 rooms, chapels, and galleries constitute former wings of the Vatican Palace.
4. Popes did not live at the Vatican until the 14th century
5. The Vatican Observatory owns a telescope in Arizona
6. St. Peter’s Basilica is the largest Catholic church in the world.
7. Every Wednesday morning the Pope holds a Papal Audience, during which he addresses the public in multiple languages and concludes with a final blessing of people and objects held up by members of the crowd.
8. Vatican City is a Unesco World Heritage Site, the only one to ­encompass a country. It is 110 acres, about the size of a golf course. A dress code means many a tourist has been turned away for showing too much flesh.
9. Vatican got guards from Swiss. The tradition of the Swiss Guards began in 1506 when Pope Julius II decided ­soldiers from Switzerland were the most loyal ­employees.
10. The Vatican stamps its own coins. The €1 coin which has a portrait of the present Pope is in high demand with collectors.
11. The Vatican museums are over 9 miles (14,5 kilometers) long, and it is said that if you spent only 1 minute admiring each painting it would take you 4 years to complete the circuit! (totally true).
12. The Vatican's railway Station was opened in 1930 and is mostly used for freight.
13. The Vatican has its own Post office and issues its own stamps. The Vatican mail system is widely used by Romans as in most cases is a lot quicker than Italian mail.
14. The Vatican's radio station is located in a tower inside the Vatican Gardens and broadcasts in 20 languages throughout the world.
15. The economy of the country is supported by the sale of postage stamps, tourist mementos, the entry fee for museums, the sale of publication etc.
16. The official Italian name of the city is Stato della Citta del Vaticano.
17. The country is governed by absolute monarchy; the pope is the head of the state.
18. Did you know that there exist only two countries in the world that do not have laws for divorce? One is the Philippines and the other is the Vatican City.
19. Italians, instead of paying to the Italian government, can donate 8% of their taxes to the Vatican City. This helps the Vatican City meet its expenses.
20. The 100% population of the city-state is Catholic.
21. The Residents of the country drink a lot of wine, approximately 54 liters of it per person every year.
22. The Vatican Museum receives approximately 5 and a half million travelers each year. This is a huge number considering the small size of the country.
23. The Pope’s personal army has some 135 Swiss Guards. The army has been protecting the pope for more than 500 years now.
24. The Vatican City is less than 100 years old. It was formed in 1929.
25. Country also has a football team (Vatican City national football team) of its own.