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Vatican City

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Vatican City Map|

"By being kicked upstairs, Vigano wrote, his efforts to clean up the Vatican would be stopped and would also tarnish the pontiff's image by bringing into question his resolve to establish transparency inside the Vatican."|

The Holy See has the oldest active continuous diplomatic representation or service in the world, dating back to at least 325 with its legation to the . Indeed, other nations have their diplomatic relations with the Holy See, never the Vatican City State.|

The Vatican City State, which employs nearly 2000 people, ran a deficit in 2008 of over 15 million euros, but in 2007 had a surplus of 6.7 million euros. The incomes and of lay workers within the Vatican are comparable to, or somewhat better than, those of counterparts who work in the city of Rome.|

Popes in their secular role gradually came to govern neighbouring regions and, through the , ruled a large portion of the for more than a thousand years until the mid 19th century, when all of the territory of the Papal States was seized by the Kingdom of Italy. For much of this time the Vatican was not the of the Popes, but rather the , and in recent centuries, the , while the residence from 1309–77 was at in .|

With a little more than 100 acres (less than half a square kilometer) within its walls, the Vatican is easily traveled by foot; however, most of this area is inaccessible to tourists. The most popular areas open to tourists are the Basilica of St. Peter and the Vatican Museums.|

City map of Vatican City|

He told Vatican investigators he gave the documents to Italian journalist Gianluigi Nuzzi because he thought the 85-year-old pope wasn't being informed of the "evil and corruption" in the Vatican and thought that exposing it publicly would put the church back on the right track.|

The State of the Vatican City, as created by the Lateran Treaty, enables the to exist with a temporal jurisdiction, territorial identity, recognition, and independence within a small territory as a true nation-state in the eyes of other nations after the loss of the Papal States in 1870. The Vatican City State is not synonymous with the Holy See. It is a significant but not essential constituent entity of it. The Holy See has existed continuously as a juridical entity since Roman Imperial times and had been recognized by other sovereigns, nations and foreign powers as a powerful and independent sovereign entity since late antiquity to the present, even during periods when it held no territory (e.g. 1870 to 1929).|

Vatican City is currently one of the few countries that has not become a member of the ; the Holy See is a permanent observer state.|

Citizenship of Vatican City is conferred upon some of those who have been appointed to work in certain capacities at the Vatican, and it is usually revoked upon the termination of their employment. During the period of employment citizenship may also be extended to a Vatican citizen's spouse. Terms of citizenship are defined in the Lateran Treaty, and laws concerning the creation of the Vatican state in 1929 sought to restrict the number of people who could be granted Vatican citizenship. The only passports issued by the Vatican are diplomatic passports.|

For historical reasons, the government of Vatican City has a unique structure. As noted, the principal figures are the Secretary of State, the President of the Pontifical Commission for the Vatican City State, and the Governor of Vatican City. These, like all other officials, are appointed by the Pope and can be dismissed by him at any time.|

The two main entrances to Vatican City for tourists are A) the Vatican Museums, accessible from Viale Vaticano on the North side of the city state and B) St. Peter's Basilica, on the Southeast side of the city and accessible from Via della Conciliazione. While St. Peter's Basilica is open all day long, the Vatican Museum entrance does close at 3:30PM on weekdays and 12:20PM on Saturdays, so it is a good idea to first visit the museums and then the church.|

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