Vatican City

Where the name comes from

Vatican City is named after Vatican Hill in Rome, Latin Mons Vaticanus; the hill’s name origin is uncertain.

First people

Ancient Romans buried their dead on Vatican Hill, and by tradition Saint Peter was buried here, where Saint Peter’s Basilica now stands.¹

Known for

Vatican City is the world’s smallest country, known for Saint Peter’s Basilica and the Sistine Chapel ceiling painted by Michelangelo.²

Outside contact

For centuries, the popes ruled much larger lands in central Italy, the Papal States, until Italian unification ended them.³

The modern country

Vatican City became a sovereign state through the Lateran Treaty with Italy in 1929, guaranteeing the Holy See’s independence in running the Catholic Church.⁴