Vatican City

Welcome to Vatican City, the world’s smallest independent state, covering a mere forty-four hectares or zero point one seven square miles. To put that in perspective, New York City's Central Park is eight times larger than this…

We begin our exploration at the entrance to the Vatican Museums, located on the northern wall of the city. After passing through security, which resembles an airport checkpoint, we emerge onto a terrace offering a breathtaking…

Moving inward, we enter a sequence of long, stunning hallways, beginning with the Candelabra Gallery. This space is defined by its division into six sections by massive marble arches and, as the name suggests, ancient marble…

Prepare yourself for what is arguably the most photo-worthy spot in the museums: the Gallery of Maps. This hundred-and-twenty-meter-long hallway features forty massive frescoes of maps of the Italian peninsula and its islands,…

We now enter the Renaissance Wing, specifically the four chambers known as the Raphael Rooms. These were the private apartments of Pope Julius the Second, who famously refused to live in the rooms previously used by the Borgia…

While most visitors focus on the art, the Vatican is a fully functioning city-state with a complex infrastructure. Did you know that Vatican City has its own gas station?. …

Over half of the Vatican’s territory is not covered by buildings but by the Vatican Gardens, a lush landscape of Italian, English, and French styles. These gardens have served as a place of spiritual meditation for Popes since…

As our tour of Vatican City concludes, we find ourselves back in the embrace of Saint Peter’s Square, surrounded by the massive columns of Bernini’s colonnade. We have traversed a country that is a living monument to human…