vatican city

Forgive me for the never ending posts from our Italy trip (all others linked down below), but I underestimated how long it would take to sift through the photos from each place!

Vatican City was mesmerizing. Everything was covered in gold and marble, and the most beautiful artwork adorned each surface.

We booked this tour and we were so happy we did. This allowed us early access into the Sistine Chapel and we were practically all alone in one of the most amazing rooms on this earth. The tour took us into the Sistine Chapel and then we explored the Vatican museums. We were also able to skip the line into St. Peter's Basilica (and this was the longest line I've ever seen!!). It was worth every penny. We walked through the Sistine Chapel a second time before entering St. Peter's Basilica and the Sistine Chapel was so crowded with people that time that I couldn't believe they let so many people in at once. By the way, no photos in the Sistine Chapel - they will yell at you and it really ruins the mood - just relax and enjoy the beauty!

After the tour and our exploration of St. Peter's Basilica, we paid to climb the dome in St. Peter's for an incredible view. You then appreciate how massive the church is and the people become smaller than ants. Plus it's a fun climb because it's like a fun house walk the way up (this will be on the Rome video posted at a later date).

Continue reading for fun facts about Vatican City:

Vatican City is the smallest country in the world. It's about two miles and had a population of 451 in 2012. You can get a passport if you are a resident.

The Vatican Museums are over 9 miles and if you spend one minute admiring each painting it would take you four years to complete your tour.

Vatican City has the highest consumption of wine per capita (thought to be due to the massive distribution at communions).

This place has more tourists per resident than any other country - the Sistine Chapel can see 20,000 tourists per day during the summer!

Requirements to be in the Swiss Guard: Roman Catholic, male, citizen of Switzerland, at least 1.74 meters tall, single, between ages of 19-30, and must serve a minimum of two year commitment.

This giant obelisk in St. Peter's Square was originally built for a Pharaoh in Egypt over 3000 years ago . Today it's also a giant sundial.

Don't forget to send a postcard to your family from inside Vatican City - the most unique postal stamping and has been named the world's best post office!