Volume 48: Vatican and its History
From Nero's Circus to Sovereign City-State: Papacy & Power
Vatican and its History traces the extraordinary evolution of the smallest sovereign state in the world. From a Roman necropolis and Nero's circus where Saint Peter was martyred to the monumental Renaissance rebuilding of St. Peter's Basilica and modern geopolitical diplomacy, it examines the spiritual and political power of the papacy.
The 2,000-year history of Vatican Hill: the tomb of St. Peter, the Papal States, the Renaissance patronage, the Protestant Reformation, and the 1929 Lateran Treaty.
Key facts
- Vatican Hill was originally a pagan necropolis and chariot circus where the Apostle Peter was crucified upside down under Nero in 64 AD.
- Emperor Constantine constructed the first Old St. Peter's Basilica directly over the apostle's traditional tomb in the 4th century.
- The modern independent Vatican City State was established by the Lateran Treaty signed between the Holy See and Benito Mussolini's Italy in 1929.
- The Vatican Secret Archives and Library contain millions of historic manuscripts preserving centuries of global church and political history.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Apostle Peter actually buried beneath St. Peter's Basilica?
Archaeological excavations beneath the basilica in the 1940s and 1950s uncovered a 1st-century Roman necropolis with a 2nd-century shrine (the Tropaion) and human remains inscribed 'Petros eni' (Peter is here).
What were the Papal States?
For over a thousand years (754–1870 AD), the popes ruled as direct temporal secular monarchs over a substantial territory across central Italy until Italian unification.
Why was the rebuilding of St. Peter's Basilica controversial?
The massive cost of constructing the new Renaissance basilica in the early 16th century prompted the aggressive sale of indulgences, which directly sparked Martin Luther's Protestant Reformation in 1517.
How does Vatican City function today as an independent state?
Covering just 121 acres, Vatican City is an absolute elective monarchy governed by the Bishop of Rome (the Pope), with its own post office, railway, Swiss Guard military corps, and diplomatic corps.