Vatican, where the President visited and met the Pope, is the smallest country in the world with an area of 0.44 km2 and is located in the heart of the capital Rome, Italy.
President Vo Van Thuong and his wife visited the Vatican and met Pope Francis on July 27. This is part of the President's schedule during his visit to three European countries on July 23-28.
Vatican City, officially the State of Vatican City, is located on Vatican Hill, northwest of Rome, Italy, and west of the Tiber River. High stone walls surround most of the Vatican. The country has its own pharmacy, post office, telephone system, and media outlets. The population is 1,000, as of 2022.
President Vo Van Thuong and Pope Francis at the Vatican on July 27. Photo: VNA
The Vatican has many buildings that are popular with tourists. One of them is St. Peter's Basilica , The second largest Catholic church in the world (23,000 m2), after the Yamoussoukro Basilica in Ivory Coast (30,000 m2), according to Guinness World Records. The cross-shaped building is nearly 200 m long.
According to CNN, St. Peter was crucified in or near the Neronian Gardens on Vatican Hill, and was buried at the foot of the hill just below the main altar of St. Peter's Basilica. Excavations at the basilica between 1940 and 1957 found what is believed to be the saint's tomb. The current basilica, built on the old site, took 120 years to complete. Construction, sculpture, painting, and mosaic work continued for nearly 200 years. Italian artist Michelangelo designed the basilica's dome. Beneath the building is the papal burial chamber.
Vatican from above. Photo: Hotels
The Apostolic Palace , located next to St. Peter's Square, is the Pope's residence. The building includes many architectural works such as: the Papal Apartments, the offices of the Roman Catholic Church, chapels, the Vatican Museums and libraries.
The Sistine Chapel , another popular destination, is located in the Apostolic Palace and is where the Conclave, the secret meeting of the College of Cardinals, elects the Bishop of Rome who will become the new Pope. The chapel is known as "one of the world's most famous galleries of biblical art," with its ceiling designed by Michelangelo, tapestries by Raphael and the Last Supper by Rosselli, the famous Renaissance artist.
The Vatican is known as the Holy Land, but it is also home to a very high per capita wine consumption, according to the Telegraph. The average citizen drinks more than 54 liters of wine, equivalent to 72 standard bottles, each year. Meanwhile, the French drink 46 bottles. This impressive amount of wine consumption is said to be thanks to the large amount of wine distributed during processions as well as daily events. Although it is a country, visitors do not need to present a passport to enter. With an area of about 0.44 km2, the Vatican is the smallest country in the world, according to Guinness World Records. Despite its small size, the Vatican is known as one of the most expensive places to store art works in the world, with 120,000 works displayed in museums and churches. Among them are Michelangelo's Last Judgment in the Sistine Chapel, works by Raphaels and Da Vincis in the Pinoteca Gallery and Emperor Nero's Porphyry bath made of extremely rare stone worth $2 billion.
The Vatican is also home to the world's shortest railway, which opened in 1934 and consists of two 300-meter-long tracks and a station, Città del Vaticano. In 2015, Pope Francis opened the railway to tourists. On Saturdays during the summer, visitors can take the train from the small station to Albano Laziale, a stop near the Pope's summer residence in the town of Castel Gandolfo, Italy.
The Pope has his own private army of 135 Swiss soldiers, who have protected the Popes for more than 500 years. Recruits must be high school graduates, single men of Swiss nationality, aged 19-30, and at least 174 cm tall. They must have completed basic Swiss military training and also receive training in hand-to-hand combat and weapons.
The Vatican has more tourists per inhabitant than any other country, welcoming 6.9 million visitors in 2019. Must-see destinations, according to Tripadvisor, include St. Peter's Basilica, St. Peter's Square, La Pietà (Our Lady of Sorrows), the Vatican Museums and Gardens, the Vatican Necropolis, the Cupola di San Pietro, and the Sistine Chapel.
Anh Minh (According to CNN, Telegraph )
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