Vatican City
Pope's sovereign territory
Vatican City is an independent city-state enclosed within Rome, serving as the headquarters of the Roman Catholic Church and the residence of the Pope.
At about 120 acres, it's the world's smallest internationally recognized nation-state.
The term often appears in discussions of papal authority or Church politics: The announcement came directly from Vatican City.
Tiny country or particle configuration
- enclaveSurrounded distinct territory
- independenceFreedom from external control
- diplomacyNegotiation between nations
- extraterritorialityLegal reach beyond borders
head of state · pontiff · jurisdiction · governance · territory · nationhood · citizenship · neutrality
Pope's office and authority
- PopeCatholic Church's supreme leader
- basilicaColonnaded church with apse
- massQuantity of matter
- liturgyFormal worship structure
altar · sacrament · clergy · vestments · doctrine · ecclesiastical · canon · cathedral
Vatican worship hall
- MichelangeloFlorentine sculptor and painter
- Last JudgmentGod's final verdict on humanity
- RaphaelRenaissance painter from Urbino
- St. Peter's BasilicaRome's principal Catholic church
frescoes · Renaissance · sculpture · paintings · galleries · masterpiece · tapestry · altarpiece
European cultural reawakening
- BorgiaNotorious Renaissance dynasty
- MediciFlorentine banking dynasty
- ReformationReligious movement splitting Christianity
- Counter-ReformationChurch's internal reform movement
Inquisition · Investiture Controversy · Constantine · Charlemagne · Holy Roman Empire · ancient Rome · catacombs
Religious journey-taker
- faithfulConsistently loyal and true
- devotionDeep, loyal commitment
- spiritual journeyPursuit of transcendent meaning
- saintsCanonized religious figures
prayer · relics · worship · penance · indulgence · procession · rosary · blessing
microstate
Tiny country or particle configuration
- enclaveSurrounded distinct territory
- independenceFreedom from external control
- diplomacyNegotiation between nations
extraterritoriality · head of state · pontiff · jurisdiction · governance · territory · nationhood · citizenship · neutrality · treaties
papacy
Pope's office and authority
liturgy · altar · sacrament · clergy · vestments · doctrine · ecclesiastical · canon · cathedral · diocese
Sistine Chapel
Vatican worship hall
- MichelangeloFlorentine sculptor and painter
- Last JudgmentGod's final verdict on humanity
- RaphaelRenaissance painter from Urbino
St. Peter's Basilica · frescoes · Renaissance · sculpture · paintings · galleries · masterpiece · tapestry · altarpiece · iconography
Renaissance
European cultural reawakening
- BorgiaNotorious Renaissance dynasty
- MediciFlorentine banking dynasty
- ReformationReligious movement splitting Christianity
Counter-Reformation · Inquisition · Investiture Controversy · Constantine · Charlemagne · Holy Roman Empire · ancient Rome · catacombs
pilgrim
Religious journey-taker
- faithfulConsistently loyal and true
- devotionDeep, loyal commitment
- spiritual journeyPursuit of transcendent meaning
saints · prayer · relics · worship · penance · indulgence · procession · rosary · blessing · papal audience
- European TerritoriesAndorra, Monaco, San Marino, Liechtenstein, Malta
- theocracytheocracy, theocrat, hierocracy, caliphate, Holy See
- VaticanSt. Peter's Basilica, St. Peter's Square, Sistine Chapel, St. Peter's, Swiss Guard
- enclave.San Marino, Lesotho, diplomatic compound, gated community
- Microstate CapitalsMonaco, San Marino, Valletta, Singapore, Kingstown
- EuropeAlbania, Andorra, Austria, Belarus, France
Vatican CitySoviet Union
Former communist superstate
Mecca · Pyongyang · Beijing · North Korea · Communist China
Vatican CityRussia
Eurasian federation, largest country
Canada · China · United States · British Empire · Brazil
Vatican CityFrance
Western European republic
Soviet Union · North Korea · communist state · Turkey · United States