Holy See (Vatican City State)

Vatican City is the center of Catholicism. Located inside the territory of Italy, the Vatican is a very small state that is 1.05 km long and .85km wide. It is found within the city of Rome and is separated only by a wall. The state is comprised of the St. Peter’s Church and Square, the Vatican and its gardens. Its population is estimated around a thousand and the density is around 2,272.7 per sq. km., the whole state is about 44 hectares. It is the smallest city-state in the world that is bounded by the Tiber River.

It is a sovereign state of the Sancta Sedes also known as the Holy See. The Holy See is governing body of the Vatican that includes the Pope and the Roman Curia. Here at the Vatican, the leader of the Catholic faith and the descendent of Saint Peter resides.

The Vatican state was founded in 1929 and its current head of state is His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI. His papacy has been in effect since 2005 after the death of the late great Pope John Paul II.

Going to this historical and religious landmark, allows the tourist to reminisce and imagine the life and times of some of the greatest artists and thinkers of all time. Walking through the Sistine chapel, one can imagine the great Michelangelo painting the very ceiling. The beauty of the Vatican will draw any tourist. It does not only symbolize the Catholic faith, but the greatness of man as well.