Vatican

The Vatican, surrounded by the city of Rome, is the smallest country in the world and is also home to the Holy See. St. Peter’s Basilica and St. Peter’s Square in the center of the Vatican are considered symbols of Catholicism. The Vatican Museums house treasures collected over the centuries by the Catholic Church and the popes.

St. Peter’s Basilica

Situated in the heart of the Vatican, St. Peter’s Basilica is the largest church in the world, with a 140-meter-high dome overlooking the Holy City and Rome. The combination of St. Peter’s Basilica and St. Peter’s Square is the Vatican’s signature, attracting visitors from different countries and is considered a symbol of Catholicism.

St. Peter's Basilica And St. Peter's Square

The Greatest of All Churches of Christendom

Situated in the heart of the Vatican, St. Peter's Basilica is the largest church in the world, with a dome nearly 140 meters high and overlooking the Vatican City and Rome. St. Peter's Square in front of the Basilica, designed by Bernini, has an Egyptian obelisk and two semi-circular colonnades leading to the entrance of the church.

Vatican Museums

Originating in the early 16th century, the Vatican Museums consist of several museums such as the Gregorian Egyptian Museum and the Pio Clementino Museum, as well as courtyards and exhibition galleries with 70,000 artifacts from the Catholic Church and the collections of the popes over the centuries. The famous Sistine Chapel, Raphael’s Rooms, the Octagonal Court, and the Pinecone Courtyard are all not to be missed.

Vatican Museums

The Pope's Treasure House

With collections from the Roman Catholic Church and successive popes, the Vatican Museums are the fourth most visited museums in the world. It consists of galleries such as the Gregorian Egyptian Museum and the Pio Clementino Museum. The Sistine Chapel and the Raphael's Rooms of the Apostolic Palace are also open to visitors.

Rome

Although the Vatican and Italy are technically two countries, the tiny Vatican commands nearly 1,000 churches in Rome, including some of the world’s highest-ranking Basilicas, such as the Basilica of St. John in Lateran, the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore and the Basilica of St. Paul outside the Walls.

Rome

Eternal City of Faith and History

Rome, the capital of Italy, has a history of nearly 3,000 years and is one of the world's most popular tourist destinations, with the famous Colosseum, Pantheon and Castel Sant'Angelo. Rome is also the center of Catholicism, with four Major Basilicas of the Catholic Church located in both Rome and the Vatican.