Geography of the Vatican

The State of the Vatican City is the smallest State in the world in terms of surface: it counts indeed only 44 hectares, which represents approximately a quarter of the principality of Monaco.

The territory of the Vatican

Its small size is explained in what it is the material support of the the Holy See, incarnation of the spiritual power of the Roman Catholic church. Article 3 of the treated of Lateran stipulates explicitly that the Vatican was created “for special ends” and the pope Pie XI, renonçant during the signature of the agreements to portions of additional, precise territory:

“It will be clear for all, we hope it, that Sovereign pontiff has really only this portion of essential material territory for the exercise of a spiritual power entrusted to men for the benefit of the men. (…) We like it to see the land field reduced to so tiny proportions which it can and must be itself regarded as spiritualized by (…) spiritual power which it is intended to support and be useful. ”

The territory of the Vatican is defined in appendix I of the treaty of the Lateran of 1929. It is located on the hill of the Vatican, in the North-West of Rome. It is bordered by the rione (district) of the borgo (medieval borough), of which it forms part before 1929, like by the the Tiber. It is enclosed in walls which go up to some extent with the reign of Leon IV (847 - 855) and to some extent at the contemporary era, in accordance with article 5 of the treaty: “The Holy See will take care to close the access of them, by surrounding of an enclosure the opened parts, except the Place Saint-Pierre. ” In addition to the latter, the City includes/understands five access points:

the Bronze door, with the entry of the pontifical palate;
the arc of the bells, vis-a-vis the basilica;
the entry of the courtroom, close to the palate of the Holy Office;
the door Holy-Anne, via di Porta Angelica;
the entry of the Museums of the Vatican, viale Vaticano, more in north.

The maximum length of the City east of 1045 meters and its width of 850 meters; its perimeter is of 3,2 kilometers. A third of space is occupied by constructions (mainly the Basilique Saint-Pierre, the pontifical palate and the museums), a second third by vast open spaces (places and course) and the last by gardens. The Vatican does not have any natural maritime access nor even of stretch of water natural. It does not comprise any projecting relief: the lowest altitude rises with 19 meters and the highest altitude with 75 meters.

Climate of the Vatican

The Climat of the Vatican is the same one as that of Rome: of Mediterranean type, with soft and rainy winters from October at May and dry and hot summers from June to September. However, the imposing mass of the basilica, the many fountains and vast open spaces are at the origin of Microclimat S, mainly characterized by fogs and dew.

Extreme points

Latitude and longitude

Note: the Vatican is completely wedged in the town of Rome. The ways mentioned in this paragraph are Roman ways which border the enclosure of the Vatican City.

Northern: with the crossing of the viale vaticano and via Leone IV ()
: to the crossing of the via beyond stazione vaticana and of the via di cavalleggeri carried ()
: with the crossing of the viale vaticano and via Aurelia )
Is: end of the Place Saint-Pierre ()

The Vatican is the smaller State independent of the world. The ends north and south are distant of approximately 800 m, those in the east and the west from about 1 km.

Altitude

Maximum: 75 m
Minimal: 19 m

The State of the Vatican is on the side of the hill of the same name; two extreme altitudes of the country do not bear a particular name.

References

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