The Basilica of St. Peter, part of Vatican City, is the most important church ever constructed under Christiandom. According to Matthew, when Jesus met Simon he said, “And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock, I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”

The Vatican City State, also known simply as the Vatican, became independent from Italy and it is a distinct territory under “full ownership, exclusive dominion, and sovereign authority and jurisdiction” of the Holy See, itself a sovereign entity of international law, which maintains the city state’s temporal, diplomatic, and spiritual independence. With an area of 49 hectares (121 acres) and a population of about 453, it is the smallest state in the world by both area and population.

When you tour Vatican City the major attractions are: St. Peter’s Basilica, the Sistine Chapel, and the Vatican Museums. The beautiful gardens and St. Peter’s Square are also a “must visit”.

When I visited, the temperature inside the Sistine Chapel was beyond comfortable — maybe 100 people were inside and only a narrow, meandering pathway existed between those people lying on their backs staring at the ceiling. View this incredible video of the chapel without getting off your chair – be sure to drag you mouse around to view the whole image.

The Vatican Museums house one of the world’s most immense collections of ancient sculptures and Renaissance art — some 70,000 works in total, of which 20,000 or so are actively displayed in 24 interconnected galleries across 7 km of museum space. It’s overwhelming —and it’s crowded. Pre-COVID numbers in 2019 recorded some 6.9 million folks through the turnstiles.