Noticias
Piazza San Pietro (St. Peter's Square)
The grand Piazza San Pietro in front of St. Peter's Basilica was laid out by Bernini between 1656 and 1667 to provide a setting where the faithful from all over the world could gather. It still...
Raphael Rooms
These rooms, commissioned by the art-loving Pope Julius II and after him by Pope Leo X, are covered with a magnificent series of frescoes by Raphael. In re-discovering the traditions of historical...
Pinacoteca (Picture Gallery)
Even though it was robbed of many of its treasures by Napoleon, the Pinacoteca contains 16 rooms of priceless art from the Middle Ages to contemporary works. Arranged in chronological order, the...
Sistine Chapel
Built by Pope Sixtus IV in 1473-84, the Sistine Chapel is a rectangular hall that is the Pope's domestic chapel, also used for services and special occasions. After the death of a Pope, the conclave...
St. Peter's Basilica
The centerpiece of the Vatican, the magnificent St. Peter's Basilica was built between the 16th and 18th centuries, replacing earlier structures that began in 326 on what is thought to be where St....
10 THINGS YOU MAY NOT KNOW ABOUT THE VATICAN
More than 100 cardinals began to meet inside the heart of the Catholic Church today to elect a new pope. As they gather in conclave inside the Sistine Chapel to choose a successor to Benedict XVI,...
STATE OF THE VATICAN CITY
The State of the Vatican City is a walled enclave which is situated in Italy's capital, Rome. It's the smallest country in the world by both population and area. Its walls are 3.2 km long and they...