The History of The Vatican

Vatican City State Christian Rome, the Pope of the Catholic Church and its Holy See to rule the independent sovereign state. In the Italian capital Rome, northwest high ground, as the boundary of the Vatican walls, an area of ​​0.44 square km. Population 757 (1985), mostly Italians, the Catholic faith. The official language is Italian and Latin (Roman Catholic Church parlance).

The history of Vatican City, the formation and development of the Vatican in the west bank of the Tiber River, the city of Rome, retained the architectural and living heritage of many Romans. From the 4th century, the use of the Decline and Fall of the Western Roman Empire, the bishop of the city of Rome took the opportunity to plunder the land.

The pope as monarch of Rome as its capital "of the Papal States in central Italy, directly under the territory of more than 40,000 square kilometers. In 1377, the Vatican Palace become the primary residence of the Pope. The Vatican Library and the Sistine Chapel was built in the 15th century, the Vatican walls, 16 ~ 17 century reconstruction of St. Peter's Basilica is the largest of the Italian Renaissance architecture. Italian Renaissance, Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Raphael and other celebrities participated in the design of these buildings, construction, decorative work, the Vatican has collected a lot of the Renaissance, as well as ancient Greek and Roman period of the precious works of art and books and documents. Vatican papal center of political and religious activities.

Vatican City State is an independent sovereign state; papal secular sovereignty on its territory the right to to establish diplomatic relations with all countries in the world with the freedom of travel. Italy to give the Pope a compensation fee, and announced that the Catholic Church as the state religion.

Since then, the Vatican and the world more than 100 countries and regions exchanged diplomats, and gradually establish and perfect the system of newspapers, radio stations, post offices, railway stations, currency, Academy of Sciences, seminaries, museums, archives, citizenship, passport, etc., and retain a support of the Swiss Guards team, in addition to the existing College of Cardinals.

Since then, the Vatican and the world more than 100 countries and regions exchanged diplomats, and gradually establish and perfect the system of newspapers, radio stations, post offices, railway stations, currency, Academy of Sciences, seminaries, museums, archives, citizenship, passport, etc., and retain a support of the Swiss Guards team, in addition to the existing College of Cardinals (generally more than 100 people), but also with the State Council headed by the Secretary of State, the Church Council for Public Affairs, 3 Court, 12 St Ministry and the Secretariat to deal with administrative justice, finance, religion, the affairs, and built the world's smallest national systems. Pope as the summit of the world the Catholic Church has a tremendous impact on the special. World War II, the Vatican neutrality deal with the fascist and anti-fascist between the two camps. The post-war support the policies of Western countries.