A visit to Vatican City is a very interesting experience. A walled enclave in the very heart of Rome, the Vatican is the smallest sovereign state in the world, both by area and population. It boasts an impressive and world famous collection of art, added to the UNESCO World Heritage Site list.

With important religious and cultural monuments such as St. Peter's Basilica, the Vatican Museums, and the Sistine Chapel, the Pope's home attracts countless visitors year by year which sustain the unique economy of this city state. Basically, the Vatican supports itself financially by the sale of postage stamps, fees for admission to museums, tourist mementos, and sales of books.

If you visit Vatican City you must come prepared to wait in long queues and to walk among hordes of tourists. It is not pleasant all the time, but it is definitely worth at least a day of any visit to Rome. It is undoubtedly interesting to observe how Catholicism has imposed itself and gained such an important and special status in Italy. Not to mention the works of Michelangelo, Bramante, Bernini, and Fra Angelico to mention some of the great artists who left their marks here.

My favourite of all galleries was the one with the huge maps of Italy. I have a passion for geography, so I was captivated by the descriptions and names of places. Another highlight was observing the frescoes of the Sistine Chapel, which awake in visitors the need for solemn contemplation.

After a long day admiring the works of master painters and strolling around monuments of the finest and most brilliant architects, I felt quite exhausted. I made a quick stop at a bakery once outside the walls of the Vatican. Italians are well known for their exquisite pastries. Everything looked so delicious! It was the joy of the mundane. Oh, it was a day full of beautiful experiences!

St. Peter's Square.

Swiss Guard at the Vatican Apostolic Palace entrance.

St. Peter's Basilica, the most renowned work of Renaissance architecture in the world.

Bernini's baldacchino, St. Peter's Basilica.

St. Peter's Square.

A call from the Vatican.

Vatican Museums.

Gallery of Maps, Vatican Museums.

Vatican Museums.

The modern Bramante staircase.