Vatican City

Partners situated in Vatican City

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Vatican City in a nutshell

Vatican City - in full Vatican City State - was inaugurated on 11 February 1929. Its motto is "A small territory with a great mission".

The rationale for the state was summed up by the Pope of the time:

At least that piece of territory which is sufficient to sustain sovereignty; that piece of territory without which sovereignty could not exist, because it would have no place to rest …The Supreme Pontiff possesses no more than that piece of material territory indispensable for the exercise of a spiritual power assigned to men for the benefit of mankind. (Pius XI).

The official web site (English version) is at http://www.vaticanstate.va/EN/

Details

(sourced from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vatican_City)

Vatican City, officially the State of the Vatican City (Italian: Stato della Città del Vaticano), is a landlocked sovereign city-state whose territory consists of a walled enclave within the city of Rome, the capital city of Italy.

At approximately 44 hectares (110 acres) (0.44 km2), and with a population of around 900, it is the smallest country in the world by both area and population. (This does not include micronations.)

Vatican City is a city-state that came into existence in 1929 and is thus distinct from the central authority of the Roman Catholic Church, the Holy See, which existed long before 1929.

Ordinances of Vatican City are published in Italian; official documents of the Holy See are issued mainly in Latin.

The two entities even have distinct passports: the Holy See, not being a country, only issues diplomatic and service passports; the state of Vatican City issues normal passports. In both cases the passports issued are very few.

The Lateran Treaty in 1929, which brought the city-state into existence, spoke of it as a new creation (Preamble and Article III), not as a vestige of the much larger Papal States (756-1870) that had previously encompassed central Italy. Most of this territory was absorbed into the Kingdom of Italy in 1860, and the final portion, namely the city of Rome with a small area close to it, ten years later, in 1870.

Vatican City is called by experts an "ecclesiastical" or "sacerdotal-monarchical" state, ruled by the bishop of Rome - the Pope. The highest state functionaries are all clergymen of the Roman Catholic Church. It is the sovereign territory of the Holy See (Sancta Sedes) and the location of the Pope's residence, referred to as the Apostolic Palace.

The Popes have resided in the area that in 1929 became Vatican City since the return from Avignon in 1377. Previously, they resided in the Lateran Palace on the Caelian Hill on the opposite side of Rome, which was out of repair in 1377. The signing of the agreements that established the new state took place in the latter building, giving rise to the name of Lateran Pacts, by which they are known.

Vatican City is situated on the Vatican Hill in the west-central part of Rome, several hundred metres west of the Tiber river. Its borders (3.2 kilometres (2.0 mi) in total, all within Italy) closely follow the city wall constructed to protect the Pope from outside attack. The situation is more complex at the famous St. Peter's Square in front of St. Peter's Basilica, where the correct border is just outside the ellipse formed by Bernini's colonnade, but where police jurisdiction has been entrusted to Italy. Within the territory of Vatican City are the Vatican Gardens (Italian: ‘Giardini Vaticani’), which account for more than half of this territory. The gardens, established during the Renaissance and Baroque era, are decorated by fountains and sculptures.

The Pope is ex officio head of state and head of government of Vatican City, functions dependent on his primordial function as bishop of the diocese of Rome. The term Holy See refers not to the Vatican state but to the Pope's spiritual and pastoral governance, largely exercised through the Roman Curia.

His official title with regard to Vatican City is Sovereign of the State of the Vatican City. His principal subordinate government official for Vatican City is the President of the Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State, who since 1952 exercises the functions previously belonging to the Governor of Vatican City. Since 2001, the President of the Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State also has the title of President of the Governorate of the State of Vatican City.

The Pope resides in the Papal Apartments of the Papal Palace just off St. Peter's Square. It is here he carries out his business and meets foreign representatives.

Vatican City State is a recognized national territory under international law, but it is the Holy See that conducts diplomatic relations on its behalf, in addition to the Holy See's own diplomacy, entering into international agreements in its regard. The Vatican City State thus has no diplomatic service of its own.

Because of space limitations, Vatican City is with Liechtenstein the only countries in the world not — being able — to host any embassy. Foreign embassies to the Holy See are located in the city of Rome - this has caused some issues during time of war.

Extra-territorial locations

According to the Lateran Treaty, certain properties of the Holy See that are located in Italian territory, most notably Castel Gandolfo and the major basilicas, enjoy extraterritorial status similar to that of foreign embassies. These properties, scattered all over Rome and Italy, house essential offices and institutions necessary to the character and mission of the Holy See.

Castel Gandolfo and the named basilicas are patrolled internally by police agents of Vatican City State and not by Italian police.

Vatican City education policy

(overall policy)

Vatican City education system

(focus on schools)

Higher education

(universities, polytechics, colleges)

Virtual Campuses in HE

None.

Lessons learnt

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References

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