Vatican City: A walk through the world’s smallest state

A year into my life in the Netherlands, the chance for another European adventure felt irresistible. My husband joined me from Bangladesh, and together we set out on our second trip across Europe. We arrived in Rome, the capital of Italy, on an early evening flight from Rotterdam.

It goes without saying that Rome is an ancient city. Along with its archaeological marvels such as the Colosseum, the Roman Forum and the Pantheon, my main interest lay in the independent city-state of Vatican City, located within Rome itself. This religiously centred state is recognised as the smallest country in the world.

We took a train from Rome to Vatican City. It was a Sunday—something I had not considered at all. A huge crowd had gathered in front of the ticket office. It was both summer and Sunday in Europe, and the Vatican was buzzing.

Although the Vatican is a city-state, its area is smaller than that of many towns, covering only 110 acres. As a child, I had read in a general knowledge book that Vatican City was the smallest country in the world. Yet, when I saw its grand entrance, it was hard to reconcile its size with its significance. 

After passing through a long line of security checks, I entered Vatican City. Standing on its stone pathways, I looked around at the massive walls surrounding the state. This open area is called St Peter's Square. On one side stands the Vatican Museum, and on both sides of the square are two large water fountains.

Vatican City is the only country in the world whose entire territory is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Just after entering, I noticed rows of chairs arranged on one side of the open space—perhaps preparations for a ceremony. 

Despite its size, it remains a global centre of art and culture. Pope Leo X, in particular, was a major patron of the arts.

A staff member informed us, "The Pope will speak to the public today." The Pope is the head of state here, and Vatican City serves as the headquarters of the Roman Catholic Church.

Situated on Vatican Hill in Rome, the city forms a roughly triangular area west of the River Tiber. In the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, it was separated from Rome by a wall, within which lie its buildings, gardens and squares.

In the middle of St Peter's Square stands an obelisk—the Vatican Obelisk. The idea of the obelisk originated in Greece before spreading to Egypt and Rome. Only a few countries in the world have them. Bangladesh has obelisks too: one in Bahadur Shah Park in Dhaka and several in the Christian cemetery in Chattogram.

The history of the Vatican Obelisk is fascinating. Long before Christianity, this area was considered sacred. During the Roman Empire, the Phrygian goddess Cybele and her consort Attis were worshipped here.

In the first century BC, Agrippina the Elder, of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, cleared this area to create a vast garden. Later, Emperor Caligula planned to build a circus there, which was completed by Emperor Nero. It became known as Nero's Circus. A part of that circus survives today in the form of this obelisk. According to Christian belief, Saint Peter, one of the disciples of Jesus Christ, was crucified upside down.

Continuing past the obelisk, we arrived at St Peter's Basilica—the largest building in Vatican City and the principal church of Roman Catholics worldwide.

Vatican City functions as a sovereign state. For centuries, the Roman Catholic Church controlled the Papal States across regions of Italy, each ruled by a Pope. Vatican City is the only surviving Papal State. After long disputes between the Italian government and the papacy, the Lateran Treaty of 1929 recognised Vatican City as an independent state.

Entering the Basilica leaves you speechless. Every corner—ceiling frescoes, sculptures, wall paintings, artworks, even the floors—holds centuries of history. I eventually switched off my phone and camera, choosing instead to absorb the art with my own eyes. 

The works of Renaissance masters such as Raphael, Caravaggio, Michelangelo, Bernini and Leonardo da Vinci are displayed here—truly a privilege to witness.

Another iconic site is the Sistine Chapel inside the Vatican Museums, globally renowned for Michelangelo's ceiling masterpiece, The Creation of Adam.

This territory, ruled by the Pope, is also called the Holy See. Since 2013, Pope Francis has served as the 266th head of state. As of 2019, Vatican City's population is only around 825, mostly priests and monks. 

Yet it has all the elements of a sovereign country: its own constitution, flag, seal, postal and telephone systems, and even a national football team. There is no official language, though Italian is widely spoken. The Pope resides in the Apostolic Palace.

Vatican City imports water, electricity and gas—transported by the world's smallest railway, just 300 metres long, known as the Città del Vaticano line. It does not serve the public.

Beyond the walls, ten other buildings in Rome also belong to Vatican City. Castel Gandolfo, the Pope's summer residence in the Alban Hills, includes an observatory. The State has embassies worldwide.

Until the 4th century AD, paganism was practised here. After Emperor Constantine converted to Christianity, he built a basilica over Saint Peter's tomb, later rebuilt in the 16th century. 

Today, it is the second-largest church in Christianity and the holiest site for Roman Catholics. The Pope delivers key sermons here on Christmas and Easter.

St Peter’s Basilica—the largest building in Vatican City and the principal church of Roman Catholics worldwide.

Vatican City was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984. Tourists may enter only three places: St Peter's Square, the Arch of the Bells and the Vatican Museums.

Despite its size, it remains a global centre of art and culture. Pope Leo X, in particular, was a major patron of the arts. The Vatican Library is another treasure, housing around 150,000 historical manuscripts and over 1.5 million books. Although not part of the European Union, Vatican City is within the Schengen Area, like Andorra, Monaco, San Marino and Liechtenstein. Since 2004, it has used the euro.

As we walked towards the museum, I spotted a young man dressed in a striking red, yellow and blue uniform. He looked almost like a bagpiper. When I enquired about his rather striking getup, I learned that he was a member of the Swiss Guard—Vatican City's tiny army, numbering just 110 soldiers, all Swiss citizens. Formed 500 years ago, it remains the smallest army in the world. He allowed me to take a photograph.

Outside the Vatican Museum, beside the tourist information centre in St Peter's Square, I noticed the country's own daily newspaper, L'Osservatore Romano. Vatican City also operates its own television centre and radio station to broadcast the Pope's messages globally.

Although Vatican City is officially the smallest country in the world, Google mentions an even smaller, unrecognised micronation—Sealand—with a population of just 27. Whether I will ever visit that unusual place, I do not know.

For now, we bid farewell to Vatican City and made our way back to Rome, where the Colosseum awaited us.