Stuff you don't find in guide books
The Vatican City is the smallest country on Earth. It is 44 hectares large and has a population of 842, according to current statistics. It is surrounded by another country which makes its geography unusual too.
Students of history know Italy has existed as a single country for just over a hundred years. Before this, the Italian peninsula was a collection of states almost constantly at war with one another. The Pope ruled over the Papal States from Rome. Their influence changed with the amount of territory occupied and battles won.
The Vatican City today is not related to these Papal States. When Italy unified, the issue of what to do with the centre of Christianity arose. They called this “The Roman Question”. While King Victor Emmanuelle III solved this problem by signing the Lateran Treaty with the Pope, the Pope did consider moving the Holy See to Malta. This established the territory of the Vatican City. It specified relations between the two, and sorted out compensation for land stolen from the Papal States.
Today, the Vatican is well-known as the centre for the Roman Catholic religion. It has a symbiotic relationship with Italy, which it relies on for many things. (The official currency is whatever the Italians have, for example) It is one of the few states without any border controls at all.
It’s a little odd, as countries go, which might be why it attracts so much attention. (Da Vinci Code fans will recall the events from that book’s sequel, Angels and Demons, that are set in Rome and the Vatican.). It’s main claim to fame should be how spectacularly beautiful it is as a continuous work of art. This is a country you could spend days in without even scratching the surface.
In the 11th century, Musim-controlled Spain was under attack from Roman Catholic Europe. One key siege was a turning point in how the church viewed war as a tool of foreign policy. This article explores the impact of the siege, and how it influenced the Crusades.
In the 19th century, various states on the Italian peninsula united to become a single, new country. While some papal states merged with the others, the Vatican refused to be under the control of an earthly ruler. It even considered moving the seat of the Holy See to Malta.
It was the first time I’d done this, sitting at a cafe, watching. Just watching. Not talking and letting my sight wander while trying to follow some conversationRead More