The World’s Smallest Country
December 29th, 2018
Table of Contents
Country or Not?
On the second day of our trip to Italy, we had a tour scheduled of the Vatican City, famously known as home of the Pope and Catholic Church. The Vatican is an independent state with an area of 0.19 square miles and a population of around 1,000, making it the smallest country in the world. But is it actually a country? Yes it is! Vatican City is entirely self governed, considered a permanent observer state within the U.N, and is a recognized national territory under international law.
A Date with the Pope
We were assigned a tour guide who walked us around the grounds and read off the long history of this famous little state. After a history lesson, It was time to enter the main building, and wow. Every square inch of each room was covered in intricate renaissance era paintings. Carefully etched marble lined the roofs, and marble columns populated the corners. Seriously, photos could not possibly do this place justice. Walking through each room, it felt like you could visit this place 10 times and still find something new to look at. We went in and out of rooms, out into statue filled courtyards, through hallways of ancient maps, and into Raphael’s Rooms. So much beauty in such a little place.
Raphael 1511
Raphael 1509
Raphael 1508
Michelangelo’s Masterpiece
About an hour into the tour we were told that it was time to head to the Sistine Chapel. We couldn’t believe we were really here, it’s something that you only imagine you’ll see in history textbooks or on National Geographic. Standing among paintings and artwork made by such legendary figures in history is very humbling. The path to the Sistine Chapel is windy and narrow. We went down multiple flights of stairs through little rooms and every time you think ‘This is it’, it’s not and there’s another hallway, another room, or another flight of stairs. The excitement was mounting.
After our journey to the center of the earth, we arrived at the entrance. It was packed to the brim with people of all cultures. Guards stood on platforms screaming ‘NO PICTURES’ at everyone. Despite all the commotion, we were floored by what we were standing in. It is beauty beyond human comprehension. Artwork covering every part of the chapel. We are taught about Michelangelo painting the roof of the Sistine Chapel and it’s importance to Art History, and here it was. I was looking at the The Creation of Adam in the Sistine Chapel. This is something that was painted in 1508-1512, almost 520 years ago. I’m not a religious man, but it’s hard not to get emotional when taking all of this in.
Note: Yes, I took pictures when they said not to. I made sure to turn off my flash so no damage would be done.
Oh St. Peter
It felt so good to finally take a breath of fresh air after being crammed into these small areas packed with people. St Peter’s Square is what I always imagined when thinking of the Vatican. The large, open square is center pieced by a obelisk from Ancient Egypt. Every movie which includes Vatican City definitely has a scene in this square.
According to Catholicism, St. Peter’s Basilica is the burial site of St. Peter, chief of Jesus’ apostles and the first Pope. It’s also the largest church in the world, and boy does it show. As with the rest of the Vatican, it’s an overflow of the senses. So much beauty in every corner.
Michelangelo 1498
And that was the end of our short adventure in the Vatican City. 0.19 square miles of beauty and history packed into every single corner.
You can continue with our Italian adventure here!
National Dish or Not?
Here’s something a little fun we did later on. Vatican City is the only country in the world that doesn’t have its own National Dish. That probably has something to do with the fact that there aren’t really any proper restaurants in the country (besides the small cafe here and there).
However we wouldn’t be deterred, and a quick search online shows that people have attributed Fettuccine alla Papalina (The Pope’s Fettuccine) as the “unofficial National Dish”. The story goes that Cardinal Eugenio Pacelli asked his chef to create a dish for a group of special guests. The chef decided to create a special twist on Carbonara, switching some ingredients and adding in onions, cream, and prosciutto. The Cardinal liked it so much that it became his favorite dish, a tradition that carried over when he was elected Pope and became Pope Pius XII, hence the Pope’s Fettuccine.
We decided to make it at home just to say we’ve ‘technically’ had every National Dish. After some research, the most authentic version we could find was from Popes, Peasants, and Shepherds: Recipes and Lore from Rome and Lazio by Italian food historian Oretta Zanini De Vita.
It was really tasty. Creamy and rich, very similar to Carbonara.
The Hungry Voyagers 