47 Important Facts About Vatican City
47 Important Facts About Vatican City
47 Important Facts About Vatican City
By
Editorial Staff
5. Vatican City is different from the Holy See. The Holy See is the
universal government of the Catholic Church.
6. The Vatican City came into existence in 1929 after the Lateran
Treaty signed between Italy and the Holy See.
9. The name of the country was first used on February 11, 1929 when
the Lateran Treaty was signed. The name of this tiny country was
adopted after the name of Vatican Hills.
10. The official Italian name of the city is Stato della Citta del
Vaticano.
11. The country uses Italian and Latin as their preferred languages.
14. The city-state mints its own Euro, has its own post office,
telephone system, flag, national anthem, and also issues passports and
license plates.
17. 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.
20. Vatican City is the only country in the world which is also
a UNESCO Heritage site.
22. The Vatican Museums are 9 miles long and they have plenty of
art and paintings available in them, which is one of the largest
collections of art in the world. Pope Julius II founded the museums in
the early 16th century.
23. St. Peter’s Basilica is the world’s 2nd largest Christian Church. It
took 120 years to complete the church and the dome of the church was
designed by Michelangelo. It is 400 feet tall and 138 feet in diameter.
The church is built in 18.000 square yards.
32. The Swiss Guard is the official guard of the Vatican City and the
Pope.
38. The Pope’s personal army has some 135 Swiss Guards. The
army has been protecting the pope for more than 500 years now.
39. The city-state does not grant citizenship based on birth but based
on the work or office located in the country. There are no hospitals in
the country, and practically no one can be born there.
40. People those who receive citizenship from the Vatican City on
the basis of their job in the country lose it when they lose their job.
They revert back to their original citizenship in such an event and Italian
citizenship when they do not have any other citizenship.
41. The city is not surrounded by a thick wall as the majority of the
sources on the web suggest. There are plenty of entry points to the city
and one may just have to pass a metal detector to gain access.
43. The Apostolic Palace (the official residence of the Pope, also
known as the Papal Palace, Palace of the Vatican and Vatican Palace.)
was opened on 30 April 1589.
46. Vatican City is less than 100 years old. It was formed in 1929.
47. The country also has a football team (Vatican City national football
team) of its own.