The Part-Time Backpacker

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Day 190 - Vatican City 🇻🇦

A Swiss Guard giving me the eye

The Vatican City is a weird anomaly of a country - it’s the smallest country in the world at under half a square kilometre in size, but is home to the Home to the world’s largest church, St Peter’s Basilica

The Vatican City is also surprisingly new in country-terms as it was only established as an independent country in 1929 and was signed into existence by Benito Mussolini with the Lateran Pacts.

Anyway, along with my holiday photos here are a few Vatican themed facts:

  • Vatican City has no formally enacted language. The Swiss guards work in Swiss German though

  • Unlike citizenship of every other country in the world, citizenship is based on an individuals appointment to a role in the Vatican and is usually temporary, lapsing when the person leaves

  • There is a single bar and restaurant in the Vatican Museums which closes at 4:00 pm. Its reviews aren’t great, so maybe this is one is only for the devout.

  • The Vatican population is only 453 people

2008

2017

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