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Photo: Jean-Pol GRANDMONT, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.How well do you know the world's smallest sovereign state? Test your knowledge on the rich history, stunning landmarks, and unique daily life of Vatican City.
Curious Pilgrim 0–4 · Basilica Regular 5–8 · Keeper of the Keys 9–10
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Michelangelo's legendary ceiling frescoes in the Sistine Chapel depict nine central scenes from the Book of Genesis, including the iconic Creation of Adam and the Great Flood. Painted between 1508 and 1512, this masterpiece required the artist to work on specially designed scaffolding for years. The chapel is also the historic venue where cardinals gather in conclave to elect a new pope.
Photo: Antoine Taveneaux, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.
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The towering red granite obelisk in St. Peter's Square was carved in Egypt thousands of years ago and transported to Rome by Emperor Caligula in 37 AD to decorate his circus. In 1586, Pope Sixtus V ordered its relocation to the center of the square, a monumental engineering feat that required hundreds of workers and horses. Unlike many other Roman obelisks, it has never toppled since ancient times.
Photo: Apaleutos25, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
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Gian Lorenzo Bernini designed the spectacular bronze Baldachin that stands directly beneath the dome of St. Peter's Basilica, marking the tomb of Saint Peter. Completed in 1633, its twisted, dark bronze columns were partially cast using metal stripped from the ancient Roman Pantheon. This massive structure serves as a visual bridge between the human scale of the churchgoers and the towering dome above.
Photo: Jebulon, Wikimedia Commons, CC0.
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Although Vatican City's official administrative language is Italian, the Swiss Guard uses German for its internal commands and daily military operations. This is because most of the recruits originate from the German-speaking cantons of Switzerland. To join this elite force, guards must be single Swiss Catholic males who have completed basic training with the Swiss Armed Forces.
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The Institute for the Works of Religion, better known as the Vatican Bank, had cash machines that greeted customers with 'Inserito scidulam quaeso ut faciundam cognoscas rationem': please insert your card to see what you can do. They were said to be the only ATMs in the world that spoke Latin, the official language of the Holy See.
Photo: Joi Ito from Tokyo, Japan, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0.
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Pope Leo IV had the Leonine Wall built between 848 and 852, after raiders had plundered St Peter's in 846. Today's Vatican border mostly follows later Renaissance walls, but one stretch of the old wall still carries the Passetto di Borgo, a raised passage that once gave popes an escape route to Castel Sant'Angelo.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons, Public domain.
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Opened in the 1930s, the Vatican Railway consists of just 300 meters of track inside the city-state and is primarily used for transporting heavy freight and imported goods. While it occasionally hosts special passenger trains for tourists or religious events, it does not run a regular passenger service. The station building now also houses a high-end duty-free shopping center.
Photo: Krzysztof Golik, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
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The lush Vatican Gardens cover more than half of the country's territory, spanning about 57 acres of the total 109-acre state. Established during the Renaissance, they feature beautiful fountains, historic fortifications, and winding paths. The gardens are highly protected, and only authorized guided tours are allowed inside to preserve their quiet, natural ecosystem.
Photo: Stefan Bauer, http://www.ferras.at, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.5.
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The Vatican postal service was established immediately after the signing of the Lateran Treaty in 1929 and issued its first stamps that same year. Many Roman locals actually walk to the Vatican to post their letters because the Vatican's mail system is widely considered faster and more reliable than Italy's national postal service. It handles millions of letters and postcards annually.
Photo: Larsvr6, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
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The Lateran Treaty, signed in 1929 by Benito Mussolini on behalf of Italy and Cardinal Gasparri for the Holy See, formally recognized the Vatican as an independent sovereign nation. This resolved the long-standing 'Roman Question' regarding the Pope's temporal power. As part of the settlement, Italy provided financial compensation to the church for lost territories.
Photo: Unknown author., Wikimedia Commons, Public domain.
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