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Rome » Vatican

View over Piazza San Pietro
(a photo by juanRubiano)

The Vatican City spreads on the western bank of the River Tiber, right opposite of the historical centre of Rome. It was proclaimed an independent state in 1929, comprising a small area, surrounded by high fortifying walls and accessible only from east, through Piazza San Pietro - one of the most famous squares in the Eternal city, surrounded by lovely colonnades. It is believed that saint (St Peter or San Pietro) himself was buried here. To honor him, a majestic basilica was built on the supposed site of his grave, which became the main cathedral of the Catholic world. Following difficult negotiations with the dictator Mussolini, Vatican was approved as a sovereign state with its own currency, radio station, official newspaper, post office and, of course, security service performed by the so called Swiss Guards, dressed in their very interesting and colorful traditional suites. In spite of all above you will hardly feel any difference on crossing the river from Rome to the independent papal state, even the quarter around, known as the Borgo, is one of the most cosmopolitan city areas, full of various restaurants and hotels, tourists and pilgrims of almost every nation around the world. It is quite likely to find yourself staying in any of the convenient 3- and 4-star hotels here, although it is more appropriate to stay anywhere in the historic centre and to come here by the regular public bus line no 64. It is good to know that a single visit to the papal state is not even close to enough if you want to see everything that is worth your attention.

The Basilica of St Peter
(a photo by edwin.11)

The Museums of Vatican and the Basilica of San Pietro are open to visitors all year round. It is also possible to see the Gardens of Vatican, but only on a guided tour. Such guided tours are held every morning except on the religious holidays. More information and tickets you can get in the Information Centre at San Pietro square. If you would like to attend a papal audience, you should know that it is possible to it only once per week - every Wednesday at 11:00 am in the special Audiences Room. You can succeed to reserve a seat for the case only several days or better weeks but not more than a month in advance. To do this it is necessary to send a fax with your name, your home address, the address of your stay in Rome and the date you prefer to the Prefettura della Casa Pontificia. If you wish to send a postcard with authentic Vatican postmark on the envelope you can do it from the post office at the northern side of Piazza San Pietro or from the Vatican Museums.

Castel Sant'Angelo
(a photo by edwin.11)

In the north-eastern corner of the fortified territory of Vatican, right on the bank of the Tiber, you will see the Castle of Sant'Angelo (Castel Sant'Angelo). It is accessible along the bridge with the same name (Ponte Sant'Angelo), which parapets are adorned by wonderful sculptures of angels, designed by Bernini. This magnificent historic bridge is one of the easiest and most picturesque routes to Vatican from the historical center of Rome. The castle itself is a huge rounded structure, designed and erected on the order of Emperor Hadrian to be his mausoleum. His mortal remains stayed intact here until the 12th century when a pope appropriated the emperor's sarcophagus and it was later burnt in an accidental fire. Built in the 2nd century AD, the mausoleum was one of the biggest and most majestic monuments of its time, faced with sparkling white marble, crowned by green cypress trees and surrounded by rows of splendid statues. The entire structure was a successful rival of the August’ Mausoleum on the opposite bank of the Tiber. In the 6th century AD the Mausoleum of Hadrian was reconstructed into a fortress and renamed on the order of Pope Gregory the Great, who had a vision that St Michael appeared here to bring end of the terrifying plague epidemic. A secret passageway was built to connect Vatican with the new castle and to be used in time of siege. Exactly through this secret passageway Pope Clement VII ran and hid himself in the Castel Sant'Angelo during the Sack of Rome of 1527.

Laocoon and His Sons in the
Vatican Museums (a photo by Joao Maximo)

The castle's interiors will amaze you with a monumental entrance hall, from where spiral staircases lead to the centre of the rounded building and through the chamber where the Hadrian's sarcophagus was laid to a sumptuous small palace. After the Sack of Rome Pope Paul III undertook large reconstruction works of this palace which produced the wonderful frescoes in Sala Paolina. The other halls and rooms are decorated with hanging swords, firearm, armor, interesting and to some extend grotesque paintings. You should not miss the bathroom of Pope Clement VII, which is on the second floor. It probably features the earliest separate taps for hot and cold water, as well as impressive, slightly erotic wall paintings. The ground floors of the castle were used as a prison in the time of the Renaissance. Between the most famous prisoners here were Cesare Borgia and Benvenuto Cellini. The last floor houses a pleasant and intimate bar where you can enjoy unrivalled panoramic views over Rome and a cup of excellent tea or coffee.