VATICAN MUSEUMS
The Vatican City State was established as a result of the Lateran Treaty, signed on February 11, 1929, between the Holy See and Italy, which recognized it as a sovereign entity under international public law.
With an area of just 44 hectares, the Vatican City State is the smallest independent state in the world, both in terms of population and territorial size. Its boundaries are marked by walls and, in St. Peter's Square, by a strip of travertine connecting the two arms of the colonnade.
In addition to its own territory, Vatican jurisdiction also extends, in a certain sense, to some areas in and outside of Rome that enjoy the right of "extraterritoriality."
Within the walls, visitors can tour St. Peter’s Basilica, the Vatican Museums, and the Vatican Gardens.
St. Peter’s Basilica is the symbol of the Vatican State, crowned by the monumental St. Peter's Square. It is the largest of the four papal basilicas in Rome, often described as the largest church in the world and the center of Catholicism.
The Vatican Museums are among the largest art collections in the world. They showcase the vast collection of artworks accumulated over centuries by the Popes. The Sistine Chapel and the papal apartments frescoed by Michelangelo and Raphael are among the highlights visitors can admire on their tour.
The Vatican Gardens are private urban gardens that cover 23 hectares of Vatican City.