The Vatican

Vatican City is the world's smallest independent state by both land area and population. The Vatican is home to the Pope. The Pope is the head of the world's 1.2 billion Catholics. Within the Vatican are historical landmarks like St. Peter's Basilica, the Sistine Chapel, and the Vatican Museums. These three sites contain some of the world's most famous paintings and sculptures.

The outside of St. Peter's Basilica, the world's largest church. Here you can also see St. Peter's Square where mass conducted by the Pope occurs

the cupola of St. Peter's, you can climb to the top to see great views of Rome

Michaelangelo's Pieta, located within St. Peter's

A Swiss guard, they are the bodyguards to the Pope

Some of the many paintings on the ceiling of St. Peter's. The most impressive and famous paintings were located in the Sistine Chapel, however photos were not allowed there. Fortunately, the Vatican has a virtual tour of the chapel on their website, http://www.vatican.va/various/cappelle/sistina_vr/index.html