The Vatican

Part of the city of Rome, the world's smallest country holds a special place on the world map. The Vatican City State is the home of the Holy See and the capital of the Catholic world. An essential status for the pilgrims who flock there, accompanied by lovers of art and history.

St Peter's Square opens to visitors via via della Conciliazione, on the banks of the Tiber. Encircled by a double elliptical colonnade and punctuated at its centre by an obelisk, it adds to the grandeur of St Peter's Basilica, which stands imposingly opposite.

The spiritual centre of the Catholic religion, the seat of the papacy and one of the holiest places in Christianity, this impressively large building is also of major architectural and historical interest.

Inside today's papal sanctuary, there are eleven chapels and forty-five altars to discover, as well as the crypt where the tomb of the apostle St Peter lies. The Pietà by Michelangelo, the baldachin by Bernini and a number of remarkable tombs are among the most remarkable features of the building and well worth a visit. With a capacity for 60,000 worshippers and an area of 2.3 hectares, St Peter's remains the largest church in the world. Every Sunday, 150,000 people gather in the square for the Angelus.

One of the rooms in the papal palaces is a very special place, and a visit to it is always a highlight of any visit to Rome and the Vatican. The ensemble of murals by Botticelli, Perugino, Ghirlandaio and Signorelli make the Sistine Chapel a nugget of the Renaissance. But it is Michelangelo's works, particularly The Creation of Adam and The Last Judgement, that are the symbols and wonders of the Sistine Chapel.

Now part of the Vatican Museums, the chapel has nevertheless retained a special role in worship, as it remains the place where bishops gather during conclaves. It owes its name to Pope Sixtus IV, who had it built between 1477 and 1483.

For tourists visiting the Vatican, booking a visit to the gardens offers another, much less exploited, but just as breathtaking view! During your stroll, take note of the Casina de Pio IV, a charming 16th-century summer residence. Nearby, enjoy the freshness of the Fountain of the Eagle, the emblem of the Borghese family. To the west, the Grotto of Lourdes is a replica of the one where the Virgin Mary appeared to Saint Bernadette. On the east side of the Vatican Museums, take a look at the Galleon Fountain, a scale reproduction of a seventeenth-century vessel made of lead, brass and copper.

Although the Vatican is an independent state, it is located in the centre of Rome and cannot be separated from the Eternal City. There are many churches nearby, as well as the Castel Sant'Angelo. Take the Passetto di Borgo, the 800-metre-long and 10-metre-high passageway linking Rome and the Vatican City.

The castle houses a museum with numerous collections of Renaissance paintings and ceramics, as well as decorations, sculptures and Roman remains excavated from Hadrian's tomb. Climb to the top for a splendid view of Vatican City and the Tiber. At its base, you can see the Ponte San Angelo and its marble angels by Bernini.