All maps, graphics, flags, photos and original descriptions © 2021 worldatlas.com. Legislative authority is vested in the Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State, a body of cardinals appointed by the pope for five-year periods. [25], The toponym Ager Vaticanus is attested until the 1st century AD: afterwards, another toponym appeared, Vaticanus, denoting an area much more restricted: the Vatican hill, today's St. Peter's Square, and possibly today's Via della Conciliazione. Some minor local features, principally mists and dews, are caused by the anomalous bulk of St Peter's Basilica, the elevation, the fountains, and the size of the large paved square. The Vatican is the world's smallest country, with an economy that relies on a combination of donations, private enterprises, and investments to generate revenue. Vatican City is the smallest country (roughly 109 acres) in the world surrounded by the city of Rome. Acting with three other cardinals chosen by lot every three days, one from each order of cardinals (cardinal bishop, cardinal priest, and cardinal deacon), he in a sense performs during that period the functions of head of state of Vatican City. Legislative functions are delegated to the unicameral Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State, led by the President of the Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State. The Holy See is the central governing body of the Catholic Church and a sovereign entity recognized by international law, consisting of the Pope and the. Its seven members are cardinals appointed by the Pope for terms of five years. Swiss mercenaries were historically recruited by Popes as part of an army for the Papal States, and the Pontifical Swiss Guard was founded by Pope Julius II on 22 January 1506 as the pope's personal bodyguard and continues to fulfill that function. Between 1861 and 1929 the status of the Pope was referred to as the "Roman Question". It is also considered worldâs smallest independent nation Vatican City is a country – in fact, it is the smallest country in the world. It granted the status of a country due to the Lateran treaty to end a period of political and religious turmoil within Italy between the church and government. [114] If crimes are committed in Saint Peter's Square, the perpetrators may be arrested and tried by the Italian authorities, since that area is normally patrolled by Italian police. Recruitment is arranged by a special agreement between the Holy See and Switzerland. Unlike citizenship of other states, which is based either on jus sanguinis (birth from a citizen, even outside the state's territory) or on jus soli (birth within the territory of the state), citizenship of Vatican City is granted on jus officii, namely on the grounds of appointment to work in a certain capacity in the service of the Holy See. The politics of Vatican City takes place in an absolute elective monarchy, in which the head of the Catholic Church takes power. When the Lateran Treaty of 1929 that gave the state its form was being prepared, the boundaries of the proposed territory were influenced by the fact that much of it was all but enclosed by this loop. [9][92] The population is composed of clergy, other religious members, and lay people serving the state (such as the Swiss Guard) and their family members. The Holy See's budget, which is distinct from that of Vatican City State, is supported financially by a variety of sources, including investments, real estate income, and donations from Catholic individuals, dioceses, and institutions; these help fund the Roman Curia (Vatican bureaucracy), diplomatic missions, and media outlets. A country is an area with a defined territory and its own government. Euro coins and notes were introduced on 1 January 2002—the Vatican does not issue euro banknotes. Vatican City is the worldâs smallest fully independent nation-state. country), while the Holy See is a religious organization which happens to govern Vatican City, but has a broader purpose. Vatican City is a country â but it is a bit complicated.As described earlier, it is actually the Holy See that maintains sovereignty over Vatican City. His principal subordinate government official for Vatican City as well as the country's head of government is the President of the Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State, who since 1952 exercises the functions previously belonging to the Governor of Vatican City. The Vatican City is a country, albeit a very small one. Because of space limitations, Vatican City is one of the few countries in the world that is unable to host embassies. The Pontifical Military Corps, except for the Swiss Guard, was disbanded by will of Paul VI, as expressed in a letter of 14 September 1970. Vatican Radio, the Vatican Television Center, and L'Osservatore Romano are organs not of the Vatican State but of the Holy See, and are listed as such in the Annuario Pontificio, which places them in the section "Institutions linked with the Holy See", ahead of the sections on the Holy See's diplomatic service abroad and the diplomatic corps accredited to the Holy See, after which is placed the section on the State of Vatican City. [97] For example, as most of the roles which would confer citizenship are reserved for men, the gender ratio of the citizenship is several men per woman. Television services are provided through another entity, the Vatican Television Center.[111]. Although the Holy See (which is distinct from the Vatican City) and the Catholic Church use Ecclesiastical Latin in official documents, the Vatican City uses Italian. Richardson, New Topographical Dictionary of Ancient Rome, p. 405, harvnb error: no target: CITEREFParisi_Presicce_&_Petacco2016 (. If youâve booked a flight to Rome expecting to find sites such as ⦠However, there is no formal defence treaty with Italy, as the Vatican City is a neutral state. A palace was constructed nearby as early as the 5th century during the pontificate of Pope Symmachus (reigned 498–514).[32]. [42] As Vatican City has listed every building in its territory on the International Register of Cultural Property under Special Protection, the Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict theoretically renders it immune to armed attack.[70]. The official Italian name of the city is Città del Vaticano or, more formally, Stato della Città del Vaticano, meaning "Vatican City State". [39] On the following day, the new government declared Rome an open city, after consulting the Holy See on the wording of the declaration, but the UK had decided that they would never recognize Rome as an open city.[40]. But the Popes did not recognise the Italian king's right to rule in Rome, and they refused to leave the Vatican compound until the dispute was resolved in 1929; Pope Pius IX (1846–1878), the last ruler of the Papal States, was referred to as a "prisoner in the Vatican". According to the Lateran Treaty, certain properties of the Holy See that are located in Italian territory, most notably the Papal Palace of Castel Gandolfo and the major basilicas, enjoy extraterritorial status similar to that of foreign embassies. The two words are confused since the Pope is the head of both the Vatican and the Holy See. The city is also the size of the whole country! It has space or territory that has its own internationally recognized boundaries. [28] This area became the site of martyrdom of many Christians after the Great Fire of Rome in AD 64. At the Vatican's request, sentences imposed can be served in Italy (see the section on crime, below). The Governorate consists of the President of the Pontifical Commission—using the title "President of the Governorate of Vatican City"—a general secretary, and a Vice general secretary, each appointed by the Pope for five-year terms. ", "Man seriously injured after setting self on fire in St. Peter's Square", "INTER SANCTAM SEDEM ET ITALIAE REGNUM CONVENTIONES* INITAE DIE 11 FEBRUARII 1929", "Researching the Law of the Vatican City State". All recruits must be Catholic, unmarried males with Swiss citizenship who have completed their basic training with the Swiss Armed Forces with certificates of good conduct, be between the ages of 19 and 30, and be at least 174 cm (5 ft 9 in) in height. The Cardinal Camerlengo presides over the Apostolic Camera to which is entrusted the administration of the property and protection of other papal temporal powers and rights of the Holy See during the period of the empty throne or sede vacante (papal vacancy). It is in this territory that St. Peter's Basilica, the Apostolic Palace, the Sistine Chapel, and museums were built, along with various other buildings. [74], However, Vatican City State itself participates in some international organizations whose functions relate to the state as a geographical entity, distinct from the non-territorial legal persona of the Holy See. [113] The tourist foot-traffic in St. Peter's Square is one of the main locations for pickpockets in Vatican City. The State of the Vatican Cityis a recognized national territory under international law and is considered the smallest country in the world. The highest point is 60 metres (197 ft) above mean sea level. [22], Because of its vicinity to their arch-fiend, the Etruscan city of Veii (another naming for the Ager Vaticanus was Ripa Veientana or Ripa Etrusca) and for being subjected to the floods of the Tiber, the Romans considered this originally uninhabited part of Rome insalubrious and ominous. 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