Vatican City State (Stato della Città del Vaticano) is a landlocked sovereign country, city-state, within Rome, Italy. It became independent from Italy in 1929 with the Lateran Treaty, and it is a distinct territory under ‘full ownership, exclusive dominion, and sovereign authority and jurisdiction’ of the Holy See. The Vatican is also a metonym for the pope, the city-state’s and worldwide Catholic Church government Holy See, and Roman Curia. With an area of 49 hectares it is the smallest state in the world both by area and by population.

As governed by the Holy See, Vatican City State is an ecclesiastical or sacerdotal-monarchical state ruled by the Pope, who is the bishop of Rome and head of the Catholic Church. Vatican City contains religious and cultural sites such as St. Peter’s Basilica, the Sistine Chapel, the Vatican Apostolic Library, and the Vatican Museums. They feature some of the world’s most famous paintings and sculptures.

Below is a selection of photos taken during a visit to Vatican City on May 23 2019. Click on a small photo for a larger view, then select the next one with the cursor keys or the arrows on either side of the photo.