Non-Fiction

1/6 – The Vatican City

The Vatican City is the smallest sovereign state in the world by both area and population, which makes it the obvious place for me to start when writing about my visits to the 6 microstates of Europe.

We had entered Rome from the east at 8am and spent the day entirely on foot. We took in the usual tourism sites;  the Coliseum, the Trevi fountains and the Pantheon, before crossing the river Tiber to the castle of the holy angel, a mausoleum built for the roman emperor Hadrian.

On approach to the Vatican, we walked along Via Della Conciliazione which was lined with lamp topped pillars and flags from around the world. We stopped for pizza with the all important view of the Brasilica Di San Pietro. This was a much needed rest from the 8000 steps we had already clocked that morning.

Vatican City is enclaved entirely within Rome and at first I didn’t even realise I had crossed the border. (No passport required)

As you pass the hundreds of pillars that surround St Peters Square you are greeted by the obelisk which stands at over 25 meters tall. There are plenty of buildings to visit which include the Sistine Chapel, where you can spend hours taking in the art and architecture. And also the Gardens of the Vatican which occupy nearly half of the country.

I would definitely recommend a visit if you are into the arts and loosing yourself in the beautiful gardens on a summers day.

This visit was 14 hours, split into a morning in Rome and the afternoon in Vatican City, but I would recommend at least a whole day for Vatican City.

– Colin Woodgate