Is Vatican City a Country?

The answer, in short, is yes. The world's smallest city-state came into existence on February 11th, 1929, after the signing of the Lateran Treaty. This treaty granted Vatican City the status of a country, bringing to an end a period of political and religious turmoil in Italy.

Before the treaty, the Kingdom of Italy and the Papal States fought over vast swathes of land in Italy. Using brute force, the Kingdom of Italy invaded the Papal States and its members fled to the Vatican. The Church then declared that its people were being held as prisoners in the Vatican, refusing to acknowledge the Kingdom of Italy as a political power in retaliation. This tore the population of Italy between the church and government.

View of Vatican City & Rome from the St Peter's Dome

When was Vatican City founded?

Popes, prime ministers, and decades passed and there was still no resolution to the conflict. Then the infamous Benito Mussolini stepped on the scene. Mussolini understood that without the support of the Church, his government would be restricted. So he devised the Lateran Treaty, also known as the Lateran Pact of 1929. It was a deal made between the Kingdom of Italy and the Holy See.

The pact recognised Vatican City as an independent state under the control of the Holy See. To sweeten the deal, Mussolini gave the church the equivalent of almost 1 billion euros, palaces, as well as land in Rome and Lazio. In return, the Holy See recognised Italy as a country and promised to remain neutral in wars and politics.

Mussolini signing the Lateran Treaty (1929)

Is Vatican City the smallest country in the world?

Yes. Vatican City is the world’s smallest independent nation-state, and it is 44 hectares in size. To put that into perspective, it takes around 40 minutes to walk the whole way around the walls of Vatican City.

As an independent state, the Vatican mints its own euros, prints its own stamps, issues passports and license plates, and operates media outlets. It also has its own domain, flag, and national anthem. But there is one government function they don’t believe they need: tax.

The Vatican city population in 2019 was 825 citizens – each of them elected by the Pope. It is impossible to be born a citizen of Vatican City! Most of the population are either cardinals or Swiss guards.

Vatican City Flag

What's inside the Vatican City walls?

Vatican City comprises 3 main public sites: the Vatican Museums, the Sistine Chapel, and St. Peters Basilica. The Vatican Museums house one of the world's most prestigious art collections. There are over 2000 rooms that display its contents. To walk the entirety of the museums requires a 7.5-kilometer walk. Located in the apostolic palace, the official residency of the Pope, is the Sistine Chapel.

This fabled location facilitates religious activities, Papal functions, and the Papal conclave. The pinnacle of the Vatican City is St Peter's Basilica. Designed by Michelangelo, the Dome of St. Peter's towers above the city of Rome. St Peter's is still the largest and most important church in the world.

The Swiss Guard (the Pope's Bodyguard)

The Swiss Guard have protected the Pope and Vatican City since 1506. In this year, Pope Julius II established the “Defenders of the Churches freedom”, or the Swiss Guard.

Swiss Guard on Duty

Cherry-picked from the Swiss military, these men must be single and between the ages of 19 – 30. The Swiss Guard make up 30% of Vatican City's population. Today the guards are there to keep the peace, and look good – but they don’t see much action. The worst recorded battle in the history of the Vatican City was in 1527. An attack by the Holy Roman Empire killed 147 of the 189 Swiss Guards - including the commander.

30 Mind-Blowing Facts about the Vatican

Carpe Diem Rome has written this fun, factual guide brimming with facts about the Vatican - from its ancient origins to modern make up!

Read more about the Vatican's bizarre and shocking history below or check out Visiting the Vatican!