Vatican: attractions, interesting facts, the best hotels and hostels

Despite the small territory (the area is only 0.44 km2) in the state there are places that will be interesting to visit every tourist: numerous museums, historical sites and the famous Vatican Library.

 

 

St. Peter’s Cathedral is called “the heart of the Catholic world”. The greatest artists, one of whom was Michelangelo himself, erected this colossal building, whose height is 136, 57 meters. But this place is remarkable not only for its grandeur, but also for magnificent works of art. Entering the cathedral and seeing its magnificence from the inside, you seem to lose touch with the outside world. The statue of Peter (rumoured to have miraculous power), the incredible beauty of mosaics, frescoes and sculptures, all this you can see, visiting St. Peter's Cathedral.

 

If desired, you can climb to the observation deck under the dome of the temple, which will offer a grandiose view of Rome and the Vatican. (The entrance fee is 6 euros on foot, 8 euros by elevator).

 

At the heart of the Vatican lies the most closed and aristocratic library in the world. The average reader does not have the opportunity to sign up here, and the people who will work in its archives are selected with special care. This library, founded in the fifteenth century by Pope Sixtus IV, contains about 1,600,000 printed books, not counting the oldest manuscripts and manuscripts, geographical maps, medals, engravings and coins. The magnificent architecture of the building, on which the famous Italian architect and early Baroque engineer Domenico Fontana worked, also deserves attention.

 

Today the library acts as a museum. There are exhibitions of unique ancient and valuable publications.

 

Details of the visit can be found on the official website of the library vatlib.it.

 

While in the Vatican, it is also worth visiting one of its greatest masterpieces – the Sistine Chapel. It was built in 1475 and is a spiritual treasure of the Vatican. Over the interior of this small church worked the most famous painters of the time. Of course, special attention deserves a fresco, the Last Judgment, over which the great Michelangelo worked for four years, and which, according to art historians, is the largest work in the history of world painting.

 

The Sistine Chapel is open for visitors from Monday to Saturday, from 9.00 to 18.00. (The entrance fee for adults is 16 euros).

 

The huge museum complex on the territory of the Vatican includes galleries and museums dedicated to painting and sculpture. The Gregorian Egyptian Museum, the Vatican Historical Museum, the Ethnological Missionary Museum, the Raphael Stanzas and this is not a complete list of museums that will help expand your horizons and allow you to enjoy the greatest works of art.

 

Details of the visit to the complex, the cost of tickets and opening hours should be specified on the museivaticani website.

 

The official residence of the Pope, the Apostolic Palace is a complex of buildings that relate in style and time of construction to different eras (palaces, chapels, galleries, halls and chapels). Thousands of rooms, museums and the mysterious library of the Pope, which holds real treasures of knowledge. Interestingly, until now it has not been possible to establish the exact date of the construction of this majestic architectural ensemble.

 

The Apostolic Palace is open to visitors from PN-SB, from 9.00-18.00. The cost of an adult ticket is 16 euros.

 

The Vatican has its own euro, which was issued by the Holy See as the official currency, the money can be used throughout the eurozone.

 

The Vatican loves wine. Average values: 54 liters of wine per year are drunk here (data per person for 2014).

 

The Vatican Railway is the shortest railway in the world. Its length is 700 meters.

 

The Vatican does not register marriages or births.

 

There is no prison in the Vatican.

 

The airspace over the Vatican is recognized as a no-fly zone.

 

Men make up 95% of the population.

 

The Vatican has more tourists per resident than any other country.

 

The fact that the Earth is not a stationary body, but actually revolves around the Sun was recognized in the Vatican in 1992.

 

The Vatican is on the list of landlocked countries.

To stay on the territory of the Vatican there is no possibility, as there are allowed to live only Catholic high priests and their special guests. The Vatican itself has no hotels or hostels. But all this can be found near the Vatican in Rome.

 

Below is a list of the best hotels and hostels (according to the estimates of Booking users) and an approximate cost of living. (Price per person, for 2 nights (weekend), it does not include the cost of air tickets).

 

Hotel V House is located 4 km from Vatican City. Price: 3423 rubles.

CiakHostel is a hostel located 4.5 km from the Vatican. Price: RUB 2601.

AlexRomano is a hostel located 4.1 km from the Vatican. Price: 2054 rubles.

PalladiniHostelRome is a hostel located 3.8 km from the Vatican. Price: 2,163 rubles.

MeltingPotRome - located 4.4 km from the Vatican Price: 3149 rubles.

 

Have a nice trip!

 

Text by Victoria Fazlutdinova

Photo: mouthshut, regnum, thousandwonders, it.igotoworld, italy-ai, imagecollectiononline