We all know that the Vatican is the smallest country in the world and that it must be seen at least once in your life. However, there are interesting facts that you hardly know and will intrigue you. And you will enrich your common culture. Let’s see!
There are underground tunnels under the Vatican
In 1527, the tunnels helped save the life of Pope Clement VII during an attack on Rome. Emperor Charles V sent troops through Rome to kill priests, monks and nuns. But the Swiss Guard protect the Pope and give him enough time to escape using the tunnels.
The Vatican Museums have the largest collection of works of art in the world
Over four million tourists a year walk in the Vatican and get up close and personal with the work of great artists such as Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael and many others.
The Vatican has its own national football team
The Vatican has its own soccer team. He played his first match in 1985, and achieved a 3-0 victory against representatives of Austrian journalists. The team members are Vatican employees: police officers, postal workers, civil servants, members of the Swiss Guard.
The Vatican owns a telescope in the state of Arizona, USA
The Vatican Observatory shares space with other organizations and groups and does not own all of the telescope’s equipment. The name of the telescope is Lucifer.
The Vatican has citizens, but none of them were born there
Citizens have been granted such status because they work in the Vatican. Technically speaking, no one can be born in the Vatican.
Vatican City is home to the world’s shortest rail network
Vatican City is known for having the smallest railway network in the world. With only two 300m tracks and one station, Citta del Vaticano, there are no regular passenger trains.
The largest consumption of wine in the world is in the Vatican
The Vatican has the highest per capita wine consumption of anywhere. The average resident consumes around 54.26 liters of wine per year. It is believed that the reason for this amount is due to the large number of communions.
Benito Mussolini made the Vatican a sovereign state
The Italian government fought the Catholic Church for many years until the signing of the Lateran Pacts in 1929. At that time, the popes refused to leave the Vatican for 60 years. They do not recognize the authority of the Kingdom of Italy. The political struggle ended when Benito Mussolini signed into law the existence of the Vatican as a sovereign state.
No document checks
Although the Vatican is a separate country, there is no need to check passports when crossing the state border. This is good news considering that around 20,000 people a day visit the Vatican and a passport check would slow down traffic.
All the guards in the Vatican are Swiss
Established in 1506 by Pope Julius II, the Papal Swiss Guard is responsible for the Pope’s safety. In order to become part of the Guardsmen, applicants must meet several requirements: the applicant must be Catholic, unmarried, male, between the ages of 19 and 30, at least 1.80 m tall, a citizen of Switzerland and have a primary Swiss military training.
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