Peeping at the Pope: Vatican City

What is there to really say about Vatican City ? Serves as spiritual Center for Roman Catholics worldwide, mecca of art and architecture,and the location of the Pope’s official residence, Vatican City is a country built on history. Yea yea I know we all have seen Angels and Demons and its likes, but I must say anything portrayed or shown about Vatican City does not do justification to its beauty and history. Vatican City has been an independent sovereign state since 1929 and is  completely independent of the ‘Italian state’. Which means it has its own stamps, railroad station, flag, national anthem, security service and military : the strangely-clad Swiss Guards who have been protecting the person of the Pope since forever.

Usually referred “The Holy See”, Vatican City is home to about 800 residents. None of them are permanent. The population of this tiny area,is made up of priests, nuns, guards, high-ranking dignitaries and, of course, the Pope. Speaking about Pope , I was surprised to know that the Pope has full legislative, executive and judiciary powers in Vatican City.

Planning the trip : Not everyone knows how to visit the Vatican properly. Most will either miss out on unique experiences or spend most of their time waiting in line. Trust me there is line everywhere . Below are a few tips that can save your Vatican Trip from being miserable.

1. You will need to have at-least one full day to soak in everything that Vatican City offers.
2. Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel are closed on Sundays, so plan accordingly.  Start your day early. It will save you plenty of time in security check-in. 
3. Take a group tour because the line to get in Vatican City is wrapped pretty much around all of Rome itself. The wait time for each attraction is generally 2 to 3 hours. A group tour  will reduce your wait time  to 20 mins. Also guided tours make visiting such places much more educational, I loved it. 
4. Do visit the city in night time. I think that is the best time to enjoy the quiet environment of St. Peter’s Square and the grand look of Basilica.
5.  Copula – the majestic dome of St. Peter’s Basilica closes at 6 pm in summers and 5 pm in winters and you do not want to miss panoramic view from there. Plan accordingly.
6. Even though entrance to the church is free ,visitors must be properly dressed, with no bare knees or shoulders. Dress up modestly. Most importantly do not lose the sight of your group members, it is very easy to get lost in Vatican city.

The display chronicles the Pope’s ride from horse-drawn carriages to the “Popemobile.” The earliest vehicle on display is from 1825 and the display even includes the white Fiat 1107 Nuova Campagnola that carried Pope John Paul II (1980)when he was almost assassinated.

Just as you enter, one thing that cannot go unnoticed is the world’s most famous staircase built by Giuseppe Momo.

Among the many highlights, Apollo of Belvedere (the statue of the God Apollo stretching out his arm)is considered as perfection of aesthetics.

Another great  masterpiece discovered in 1506 is the Laokoön . It is said that  Laokoön ,a priest of Poseidon,warned the Trojans not to bring the wooden horse left behind by Greeks during the Trojan War in to the city of Troy. Just after his prophecy , two enormous sea serpents rose from the sea and killed Laokoön and his sons, silencing any further dire prophesies from the priest. The Trojans took this as a bad omen and did not heed Laokoön’s warning. They hauled the cursed horse into the city walls  and rest we all know as we saw in movie Troy ( I love it when I can relate something to a movie 🙂 ).