The Vatican (Latin name Status Civitatis Vaticanæ, Italian Stato della Citta del Vaticano) is an independent state. The sources also found the name of the State of Vatican city. This is the smallest officially recognized state in the world. In international law, the Vatican has the status of auxiliary sovereign territory of the Holy see and the residence of the Supreme spiritual leadership of the Roman Catholic Church.
Many by mistake believe the Vatican is a kind of building. However, this is incorrect. The Vatican is a separate territory on which the Cathedral of St. Peter, the great Central square of St. Peter, Sistine chapel, papal gardens and the complex of buildings, consisting of museums, palaces, houses, office and commercial buildings. In addition to the territory of the state of Vatican city has a heliport, own the Vatican or, as it is called, the papal post office, several gas stations, the oldest pharmacy, fire station, library, supermarket and even the shortest railway in the world.
All this is enclosed Valikoski wall. On the external side wall is more like a residential building, maybe, because houses stand close to the wall, and maybe because the wall is the house. The total length of the wall and accordingly the state border of the Vatican is only 3.2 kilometres. Imagine what a small country!
Geographically the state is located in Rome, therefore, is like a state within a state, a city within a city. Located on the Vatican hill in the northwestern part of Rome, several hundred metres from the Tiber river. To visit the Vatican there is no need to obtain any special visas or permits. If you are in Rome, you can visit the Vatican. Of course, in gardens and in the territory of the papal possessions you will not miss, but to go to St. Peter's Cathedral or stroll through the largest Museum complex in the world, formed by the palaces of the Vatican is quite real.
Residents of Vatican city are the Vatican and the corresponding citizenship. Correct to say, they have dual citizenship - of the Vatican and its where they come from. To the Vatican citizenship is quite difficult, even the common man it is impossible, as citizenship of the Vatican receive only the higher ranks of the Catholic Church from the entourage of the Pope. Even the official residents of the Vatican, not all have citizenship.
The main Cathedral of the Vatican stands majestically over the state. It can be seen from many points in Rome.
The complex of buildings of the Vatican, which we can see from St. Peter's square, has a beautiful architecture with figures and ornaments of stucco.
St. Peter's Square
Arriving at the Vatican first, where do you get this in St. Peter's Square, also called Piazza San Pietro (the Italian name Piazza San Pietro). The area is the largest and most Central square of the Vatican, and Rome.
This area is of great proportions in the form of two symmetrical semicircles. Along the perimeter on two sides the square is framed by a semicircular colonnade of the Tuscan order, was designed by Giovanni Bernini.
In the center of the square is decorated with the monument of architecture and history dvadtsatimetrovy tall Egyptian obelisk.
On the square are services and ceremonies. Participation in many of which he accepts the head of the whole Catholic Church - the Pope.
During the services in the square arranged chairs, and the entrance to the area is strictly through security and metal detectors.
Here at Central Catholic square world gather crowds of the faithful to listen to the speeches of the Pontiff. And we are not spared this spectacle side came out in the meeting on Sunday. People of all ages gathered just darkness, it was not overcrowded.
Procession service
The Pope
St. Peter's Cathedral
The Central and most beautiful building of the square is St. Peter's Cathedral or Basilica of Saint Peter (Latin name Basilica Sancti Petri Italian Basilica di San Pietro). This is the main Catholic Cathedral in the world, the Central and largest building of the Vatican, as well as the largest historic Christian Church in the world.
The Cathedral is a great and important monument of architecture and history of the Renaissance. On its creation worked the greatest masters of all time - Raphael, Michelangelo, Bramante and Bernini.
The Cathedral of St. Peter was officially recognized as the greatest creation of world architecture.
After you visit St. Peter's square, you see the beautiful Basilica of St. Peter. The Cathedral is right on the square, being the most beautiful and the main construction of the square. Here annually attracts thousands of tourists and pilgrims.
The entrance to the Cathedral here, right on the square. To get inside the Temple, you need to defend a great place, sometimes the queue goes around the whole area. But not to worry, the line moves pretty quickly. We, despite the large crowd, was only 15 minutes. When you enter the Cathedral you pass through the metal detector and security guards don't allow people with bare shoulders that men that women. So instituted, the entrance to the Catholic temple only with covered shoulders. When we, several young men in t-shirts launched back. I was also in a t-shirt, but we are warned in time people are standing with us in line and we are in the nearest store bought scarf.
Square bustling and representatives of travel agencies offer money - 20-25 euros to take you to the temple and the museums without Queuing. Cheating of course, designed for the uninformed tourist. The entrance to the Cathedral and museums and so free, though people seem a lot, but the line moves quickly. So don't pay them money.
St. Peter's Cathedral is huge and majestic, with many halls rich design ornamented with mosaic, stucco, gilding and tall semi-circular arches. Inside of all seen just breathtaking, to describe what feel at the same time is very difficult. This enthusiastic joy, the rapture, and wonder, and a thrill from a personal touch to one of the greatest creations of man, bearing the spirit of past centuries. This is not a television program to watch...
In the Basilica is the mass of altars, gravestones and statues, there are numerous wonderful works of art.
For an additional fee, you can climb the Dome of St. Peter's. For this you need to exit the Cathedral and the right side is the entrance to the dome. The entrance fee, you can climb on foot, it costs 8 Euros per person or part of the way to take the lift by paying 10 Euros per person. Of course, we walked.
Be sure to climb the dome, it's worth it!!!
First ascent is on a wide and spacious staircase. Then go to the open terrace, a part of the path passed. Here comes the Elevator. Then everything goes on foot. There is also a gift shop where you can buy magnets, figurines, and other goods with the symbols of the Vatican.
Further, the spiral staircase of the envelope dome, the rise is already on the dome of the Cathedral. The staircase becomes narrower and takes on the slope of the characteristic dome shape. And you're going first right and then has to bend.
Up to the very dome can close to see the dome is decorated with painting, and look on the halls of the Cathedral, just beautiful. Note that the dome of the Cathedral rises to a height 136,57 meters from the floor of the Basilica to the top surmounted by a cross, is the highest dome in the world.
After admiring the architecture of the dome, go out to the open observation deck.
Papal, Vatican gardens
Went to the observation deck of the dome of the Cathedral of St. Peter. And here eyes the beautiful panorama of the Papal, also called the Vatican gardens.
These gardens are one of the most protected places in the world. These are the most beautiful gardens of Europe and a place where you can relax, of course, only in favourites))
In the gardens you can see lots of lawns, fountains and greenery. And of course, residences and administrative buildings. Just imagine in the morning when the sun was still high and not so warm, dad or someone else slowly strolling through the alleys of the gardens with a Cup of coffee in hand, admiring the fountains, listening to them gurgling water and singing birds, and the silence around, peace and tranquility...
In addition to the gardens from the dome the view is a beautiful view on Rome
We've been looking for a pipe that when choosing the next monarch is the smoke. In the area we saw only one pipe. I think this is the same pipe, from which the selection of a new Pope, if the congregation of cardinals comes to a consensus, is the smoke from burning ballots, talking about voting results. Moreover, if the decision is not accepted, the color of the smoke black, but if accepted, and the Pope is elected, then white. After the vote, secret and closed procedure and only thanks to the smoke you can learn about the election of the Pope.
Voting is held in Sistine chapel. It is open to the public, except when the procedure for electing the new Pope.
The Pope's mail or mail the Vatican
In the square, to the right of St. Peter's Cathedral is the post office of the Vatican. This is one of the most reliable and fastest mail in the world. The deadline for delivery of letters anywhere in the world is day.
You can go to the post office to choose a card and a surcharge to send their friends a message from the Vatican. Mail delivers around 8.5 million letters and postcards each year.
Also at the post office sells commemorative stamps. Commemorative stamps are released at different occasions - the election of a new Pope, the feast in honor of the day of the Vatican, the birthday of the Pope, and other such events. Selling brands is a major and very profitable activities of the Pontifical mail.
Now we'll talk a bit about other places that are also in the Vatican. To get inside we naturally no one would have given, so there are no pictures. The entrance to these places only with special permits issued strictly to citizens of the Vatican and that is not all. Why? Yes, because the prices are stunned how low, and the quality wow what awesome.
Pharmacy Vatican
Pharmacy Vatican city is the oldest in the world and located near the gate of St. Anne. In this pharmacy you can find the rarest drugs in the world. The drug prescription.
Because the Vatican has no taxes, the cost of all medications in the pharmacy at 12-25% lower than in other pharmacies of Italy and Europe. Drugs are sold here would be the system duty free.
Thanks to low prices and a wide range of rare and unique drugs pharmacy is very popular with the people of Rome, but to obtain permission for her visit to persons unrelated to the Vatican uneasy. This permit is issued only if necessary no medication in pharmacies in Italy or another European country and the applicant has a prescription. For obtaining permission for purchase of medicines in pharmacies one little recipe, you should fill a certain application and, in addition to a prescription to present a passport or other ID. For the higher Church clergy and employees of the Vatican such permission, of course, is not required.
The Supermarket Of The Vatican
The Vatican is only one supermarket, but what. The quality of goods is high and the prices are much lower than in other shops of Rome. That's just right to visit and to shop in this supermarket are the only people with a special pass, DIRESCO, issued by the Governor of the city.
Vatican trading house
The Vatican's trading house is located in a former train station. The entrance is also limited. In the trading house, in our shopping Mall, you can find a wide range of electronics goods and expensive watches. As in the supermarket, all products shopping at home is cheaper 20-40% than the territory of the Vatican.
Gas stations in Vatican city
On the territory of the Vatican there are several petrol stations. I think you have already guessed that you can use them only close to the Dad of the person with special permission, and fuel prices by 30-35% cheaper, than in all of Italy.
This time, go to the Vatican museums we were not able, in the evening already tired. Next time be sure to visit all the museums and will talk about them on the pages of this blog. If you are planning your trip to Rome, then scroll to the Vatican a couple of days. Because it is so beautiful and unusual that one day for the perception of insufficient will and to run, only all the time will agree, is not a good idea.
