Vatican  City​

Latest update: 15 January 2024
By Dion Protani
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The Vatican City is an independent state situated west of the River Tiber in the centre of Rome. It is the home of the Pope and the place from which ecclesiastical matters of the church are governed.

Within its tiny confines of just 48 hectares are some of the major sights in Rome and even the whole of Italy. Here we find Saint Peter's Basilica on Piazza San Pietro and the Vatican Museums.
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Marking the boundaries of the Vatican City
The boundaries of the Vatican City reach as far as the edge of the Vatican Gardens behind Saint Peter's Basilica to the west, and to the eastern edge of Piazza San Pietro in the other direction, at the point where it meets the Via della Conciliazione. The Vatican Museums occupy the area directly north of the Basilica and everything to the south of it is the Trastevere district.
How to reach the Vatican City
You can reach the area by taking the Line A Metro to the Ottaviano stop which lies around 550 metres north of the Vatican Museums and from there it's around 8 minutes on foot.

​However, much more interesting is to walk here; from Piazza Navona in the centro storico it's a beautiful walk of around 15 minutes to Piazza San Pietro, during which you'll pass some of Rome's most treasured monuments including a walk across the Ponte Sant'Angelo bridge to the magnificent Castel Sant'Angelo.
Città del Vaticano
City: Rome

Province: Metropolitan City of Rome

Region: Lazio

Established: 1929

Nearest Metro stop: Ottaviano - Line A - 550 m - 8 minute walk​​​

​​​Fly to: ​​Rome Fiumicino Airport - 25 minutes by car (29 km)

​Recommended accommodation: Hotel Artemide
UNESCO World Heritage Site

Vatican City

​Year: 1984

Vatican  City  Gallery

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