The Swiss Guard<\/strong><\/p>\nFor more than 500 years the Popes have recruited men from Switzerland to act as their personal bodyguard and today this special and unusual relationship continues. The Swiss candidates must be Catholic, unmarried males between nineteen and thirty years old, be at least five feet and nine inches tall and have done military training in Switzerland.<\/p>\n
The traditional Vatican uniform that they have to wear is far from flattering. The uniform resembles a medieval jester\u2019s costume in a Shakespeare production. Imagine a dozen of these fellows charging the enemy with their red, blue and gold bloomers flapping in the breeze!<\/p>\n
Vatican economy<\/strong><\/p>\nThe Vatican state budget is supported by predominantly by tourism activity, namely the sale of stamps, coins and gifts, as well as entry charges to museums and other attractions.<\/p>\n
It is interesting that none of the clergymen who work inside the Vatican earn the same as their counterparts in Rome.<\/p>\n
The Vatican state issues its own coins and, because of their rarity, Vatican Euro coins are sought after by collectors and dealers. Pre-Euro times saw the Vatican Lira, which was valued the same as the Italian Lira.<\/p>\n
World famous art<\/strong><\/p>\nSome of the world\u2019s best-known and admired art is to be found within the Vatican\u2019s walls. The Vatican\u2019s museums display an immense collection of art that has been gathered over centuries by the Roman Catholic Church and include some of the most important masterpieces of Renaissance art.<\/p>\n
St Peters Basilica is an incredible building with an enormous dome which contains masterpieces by many famed artists. This opulent building is the largest church in the world and its lavishness bears testimony to the wealth of the Catholic Church in the 1500s.<\/p>\n
The Vatican is a UNESCO world heritage site and you will need a good full day to give yourself any chance of seeing all the treasures on offer. This is a holy place and modest dress is required, No bare knees or shoulders otherwise you could find yourself chucked out by the ever zealous ushers!<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A trip to Rome should not be void of visiting the Vatican, an independent state lying within the city walls of Rome. This incredible city is, in fact, the smallest state in the world, with an area of only 44 hectares and containing a population of just 800. The Vatican is the rarest of cities<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":3170,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[43],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3168","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-things-to-do-in-italy"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
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![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.vintagetravel.co.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/12\/What-to-do-in-Romes-Vatican-City.jpg\" "\\"What")
<\/a><\/p>\n