The Vatican

Officially an independent country, this city state of less than 150 acres is the smallest country in the world. Most know it as the seat of the Pope and the central administration of the Roman Catholic Church.
This post adds pictures of some of the places not shown in others posts.
The 1st picture looks up the main street leading to St. Peters Square while the 2nd picture is taken in the Square with the Basilica to the right and the obelisk to the left. The obelisk is Egyptian originally from Heliopolis. It sits at the center of the elliptical square atop a fountain. The space was design by the famous artist Bernini, including the colonnade that is 4 columns deep.
The Papal Basilica of St. Peter, the largest church in the world, is built on the site of the 4th century basilica built by Constantine on the site understood to hold the burial of the Apostle Peter. The 3rd picture is of the nave. The 4th picture looks more closely at the chancel and altar with the stained glass representing the dove as the Holy Spirit. The 5th picture looks down the stairs in front of the main altar down towards where Peter's tomb is located.
The last picture looks over some of the interior gardens within the Vatican. These are private gardens and parks that encompass half of the country.Read more