VATICAN CITY

ITALY

The independent city-state enclaved within Rome, Vatican City is the smallest state in the world by both area and population. Established in 1929 with the Lateran Treaty, the area is ruled by the pope and contains religious and cultural sites such as St. Peter’s Basilica, the Sistine Chapel and the Vatican Museums. One of the most sacred places in Christendom, it is the site of the tomb of the Apostle Saint Peter and is a creation of the Renaissance and of Baroque art