Vatican City
The Vatican City is a tiny country within the city of Rome, Italy, where the human authorities of the Roman Catholic church are situated, including the Pope. Almost all of Vatican City's 870 citizens live inside the Vatican's walls. The Vatican includes high dignitaries, priests, nuns, and guards as well as about 3,000 lay workers who compose the majority of the work force. The Vatican City is the territory of the Holy See.
The name "Vatican" (or in Latin Vaticanus) recalls the institute of Vaticinium, activity that in ancient Rome was mysterious and sacred, consisting of foreseeing specifical or particular future events. It is supposed this area (Ager Vaticanus) had always been considered sacred, even before christianity, and little frequented, being on the right side of Tiber, while all classical Rome was on the other. In the early centuries (326) the first church was built where St. Peter's tomb was supposed to be. It is however only in 476 that the area started populating.
The Holy See's diplomatic history began in the fourth century, but the boundaries of the Papacy's temporal power have shifted over the centuries. Starting from 8th century, Vatican influence on Mediterranean area became relevant, having developed a sort of right of veto over single european states, and being the coordinating point of the conflicts between european catholics and arabic muslims. In the middle of the 19th century, the Popes held sway over the Papal States, including a broad band of territory across central Italy. In 1860, after prolonged civil and regional unrest, the army of Victor Emmanuel II, previously king of Sardinia, seized the Papal States, leaving only Rome and surrounding coastal regions under papal control. Italian kingdom was unified.
On 20 September 1870, Victor Emmanuel II's troops captured Rome itself; it was later declared the new capital of Italy, ending papal claims to temporal power. Pope Pius IX and his successors disputed the legitimacy of these acts and proclaimed themselves to be "prisoners" in the Vatican. Finally, in February 11 1929, the Italian Government represented by Benito Mussolini and the Holy See signed three agreements (the Patti Lateranensi or Concordato) resolving the dispute:
- A treaty recognizing the independence and sovereignty of the Holy See and creating the State of the Vatican City.
- A concordat defining the civili and religious relations between the government and the church within Italy (summarized in the motto: "free church in free State"); and
- A financial convention providing the Holy See with compensation for its losses in 1870.
A revised concordat, altering the terms of church-state relations, was signed in 1984.
Vatican City and Italy border at the famous St. Peter's square, in front of the Basilica of St Peter ad Vincula, and the correct limit is the middle of the round area surrounded by Bernini's columns; Italy provides the Vatican with the necessary security and military services, and it practically depends on Italy for most occurrencies. Customs protect the territory, but access to the basilica and other tourist sites is de facto free.
As an independent state, Vatican City accepts foreign embassies, which are located in the "Italian" part of Rome due to limited extension of the territory of the state. This causes, very curiously, Italy hosting its own Embassy of Italy.
Vatican City is technically a rare case of non-hereditary elective monarchy, the king (Pope) being elected for life by Cardinals in the operation known as Conclave (in the Sistine Chapel). Power cannot be inherited; the fact that popes come from celibate clergy, didn't prevent some of them from having sons (most famous case is Alexander VI Borgia), who however had no rights on Papacy.
The Vatican City has one of the biggest and most beautiful art collections in the world, which includes works by artists such as Michelangelo Buonarroti and Leonardo da Vinci. It also has a large and valuable library and the Vatican Museums contents are of absolute historical, scientifical and cultural importance.
Vatican City has an own army, the carachteristic Swiss Guards, whose uniforms were designed by Michelangelo; troops are yearly selected among swiss catholic volounteers.
It has an offical website at www.vatican.va.
From the CIA World Factbook 2000. Not Wikified.