Walled within the city, the Vatican, with its domed St. Peter’s Basilica, covers 109 acres (44 hectares).
All Rome was under papal rule from the sixth century A.D. until the city became Italy’s capital in 1870. But not until 1929 did the papacy renounce its claims to all other Italian territories and win recognition of its sovereignty over Vatican City. Residence of a thousand citizens, the enclave has its own railroad station, post office, radio station, newspaper, mosaic studio, palaces, gardens, library, and museums.
—Text adapted from "When in Rome," National Geographic magazine, June 1970
Often labeled as poor, rural, and beholden to the Mafia, Sicily insists that change has arrived. Explore this small Italian island—a unique world unto itself.
An enclave of remarkable buildings and art surrounded by the city of Rome, Vatican City is the smallest sovereign nation in the world—and one of the most powerful.
Trapped in the myth of her beauty, Venice beguiles and remains elusive. See why this city has held such sway over artists and romantics for centuries in this gallery.
