nPostednon February 11, 2014
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nVaticannCity is the smallest independent country in the world. This “nation”nis so small, it’s entirely inside the capital city of anotherncountry!
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nVaticannCity is the enclave in which the Pope, leader of the Roman CatholicnChurch, lives and works, along with about 900 other full-timenresidents and around 3,000 workers from outside Vatican City. ThenPope is considered the head of state as well as the head of hisnreligion. And this city-state is located entirely inside Rome, Italy.
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| Swiss Guards Corps |
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nVaticannCity has recognized boundaries, people who live there on an ongoingnbasis, and its own currency (coins) and postage stamps. The Vatican’sneconomic activity consists of fees from admission to museums andnsales of items such as publications, stamps, and tourist mementos. Itnhas an internal police force in the Swiss Guards Corps. Two of thenmost important criteria for being considered an independent countrynis sovereignty (no other country—not even Italy—has power overnthe territory of Vatican City) and recognition as a country by otherncountries.
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nVaticannCity isn’t like most other countries because it doesn’t haventransportation systems, external defense, or utility services. Itnrelies on Italy for all of these things. These agreements—sovereigntynand “independence,” BUT dependence on Italy for infrastructurenand defense—were created with the Lateran treaty, signed on thisndate in 1929.
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nWhatnyou see at the Vatican…
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| The Sistine Chapel |
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nI’venbeen to Rome, so of course I went to Vatican City. (By the way,nwalking into Vatican City definitely does not feel like crossing anborder—no passport check, for example.) One thing I saw was anreally, really, really, really, really long line to get into thenSistine Chapel.
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nOkay,nI probably should’ve waited in that line. But I was only going to benin Rome for two days, so I chose not to spend all those hours innline.
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nI missed seeing some amazing tapestries, ceramics, miniatures,nand frescoes—and the famous Michelangelo painting on the ceiling ofnthe Sistine Chapel. I also didn’t take a guided tour through thenVatican Gardens.
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| This is a detail from the ceiling painting. |
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Instead,nI went to Saint Peter’s Basilica, which is plenty amazing! This hugenchurch is the largest in Europe (until 1989, the largest in thenworld): 614 feet long, 145 feet high in the aisle, 435 feet insidenMichelangelo’s dome. It is considered one of the greatest creationsnof Rome’s Renaissance—and it should be, since it was worked on bynpretty much every great architect in Italy during the 16thnand 17th centuries: Michelangelo (of course), Bramante,nRaphael, Peruzzi, Bernini, Maderno, and Antonio Sangallo the Younger.
Instead,nI went to Saint Peter’s Basilica, which is plenty amazing! This hugenchurch is the largest in Europe (until 1989, the largest in thenworld): 614 feet long, 145 feet high in the aisle, 435 feet insidenMichelangelo’s dome. It is considered one of the greatest creationsnof Rome’s Renaissance—and it should be, since it was worked on bynpretty much every great architect in Italy during the 16thnand 17th centuries: Michelangelo (of course), Bramante,nRaphael, Peruzzi, Bernini, Maderno, and Antonio Sangallo the Younger.n
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nSt.nPeter is supposed to be buried there, and many other popes havencertainly been buried in the crypt and necropolis. There is antreasury museum inside the church, and there are some great statues.nArguably the most famous statue is Pieta, by Michelangelo: itnportrays Mary holding her grown son Jesus after he has been killed.
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Twonbig changes have occurred since Michelangelo, then age 25, finishedncarving the statue. First, some critics of his time said that such anyoung sculptor could not have created such a beautiful piece bynhimself. Michelangelo was angry and returned to the sculpture, wherenhe signed his name by chiseling it into Mary’s sash. He never signednany of his other sculptures, before or after. The second change isnmuch more recent: in 1972 a crazy man used a hammer to knock offnMary’s nose and fingers. (Did I mention he was crazy? He wasnscreaming, “I am Jesus Christ” as he attacked the statue.) Thenstatue has been repaired, but visitors now have to view it behindnbulletproof acrylic glass! (So sad.)
Twonbig changes have occurred since Michelangelo, then age 25, finishedncarving the statue. First, some critics of his time said that such anyoung sculptor could not have created such a beautiful piece bynhimself. Michelangelo was angry and returned to the sculpture, wherenhe signed his name by chiseling it into Mary’s sash. He never signednany of his other sculptures, before or after. The second change isnmuch more recent: in 1972 a crazy man used a hammer to knock offnMary’s nose and fingers. (Did I mention he was crazy? He wasnscreaming, “I am Jesus Christ” as he attacked the statue.) Thenstatue has been repaired, but visitors now have to view it behindnbulletproof acrylic glass! (So sad.)n
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nTherenare millions and bajillions of things to see in St. Peter’s, andnafter seeing all of that, we went out to the Piazza (plaza),nwhere an enormous crowd waited to see Pope John Paul II come to anwindow and wave and briefly address the crowd in Italian. That was anreally crazy scene, with the colorful Swiss Guards and an even morencolorful procession with little kids bobbing their heads as they werencarried on tall carry-sticks.
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nWow!nWhat a spectacle it all made!
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nAlsonon this date:
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nAnniversary of the birth of Sacagawea’s baby boy
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nNationalnInventors’ Day
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nNationalnFoundation Day in Japan
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nExtraterrestrial Culture Day in New Mexico
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nPlannahead:
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nPlannahead:
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nChecknout my Pinterest boards for:
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nFebruaryn holidays
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nFebruaryn birthdays
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nAndnhere are my Pinterest boards for:
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nMarchn holidays
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