Vatican City Attractions
The extensive territories of the Papal States in central Italy, originally presented to the Pope by the Frankish king Pippin the Short, father of Charlemagne, were incorporated in the new kingdom of Italy in 1870. The Pope thereafter regarded himself as a prisoner in the Vatican, and this rift between Church and State was not finally healed until 1929, when Mussolini concluded the Lateran Treaty with the Holy See under which the Pope gained full sovereignty over the more restricted territory of the Vatican State.
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St Peter's Basilica
The center piece of the Vatican, St Peter's Basilica is the world's most famous Christian church. The first church of St Peter was built here in 326, but the magnificent structure seen today was built between the 16th and 18th C.
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St Peter's Square
In front of St Peter's Basilica, the huge St Peter's Square accommodates enormous crowds, particularly on religious holidays. Rows of columns enclose the oval "square" on two sides, and in the middle stands an Egyptian obelisk.
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Vatican Palace
Vatican Palace is the Papal residence. This huge and extravagant complex covers 13.5 acres, excluding the gardens.
Vatican Gardens
The Vatican Gardens, behind St Peter's and the Vatican Palace, occupy a large part of the area of Vatican City. In the gardens are a variety of buildings serving particular purposes, churches and offices, towers and fountains, the Casina di Pio IV (seat of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences) and a coffee-house. The north end of the gardens is bounded by the Leonine Walls, the railroad station, the radio transmitter and the Vatican Museums.
