Vatican City with St. Peters Basilica Jul 23, 2025

Vatican City with St. Peters Basilica

In the middle of Rome, Italy, lies an entire country of its own: Vatican City. At just 121 acres, it"s the smallest independent nation in the world, yet its reach spans centuries and continents. Home to the pope and the spiritual center of the Roman Catholic Church, this walled enclave is a blend of art, history, and devotion. At its core stands St. Peter"s Basilica. Seen in the distance in today"s image, this Renaissance masterpiece is built over what is believed to be the tomb of St. Peter, the first bishop of Rome. With its soaring dome dominating the skyline, the basilica is one of the largest churches in the world. Just beyond the basilica lies St. Peter"s Square, where thousands gather for papal blessings. The Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel, which houses Michelangelo"s famed ceiling, are other must-sees. Despite its size, Vatican City has its own postal service, telephone system, and banking system.

© RudyBalasko/Getty Images

palette

Today in History

Jul 23, 2018Tokyo welcomes a futuristic new art museum
Jul 23, 2019A state-of-the-art lookout on the Rock of Gibraltar
Jul 23, 2020At the foot of Dubrovnik s Gibraltar
Jul 23, 2021Let the games (finally) begin!
Jul 23, 2022National Moth Week
Jul 23, 2023Nuwara Eliya, Sri Lanka
Jul 23, 2024Methoni Castle, Messenia, Greece

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Jul 1, 2024Canada Day
Jun 3, 2021Get on your bike and ride
Feb 15, 2018The Feathers at Frenchman Coulee near Vantage, Washington
Dec 7, 2020In memory of those lost
Apr 24, 2020Celebrating 30 years of eye-opening images
Apr 30, 2024Cheetah in Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Tanzania
Feb 1, 2026Black History Month
Mar 17, 2025Happy St. Patricks Day!
Sep 9, 2023Ayutthaya Historical Park, Thailand
Jun 27, 2024Duomo Santa Maria del Fiore, Florence
Aug 25, 2023National Park Service anniversary
Jul 10, 2022Ölüdeniz, Turkey
Jun 24, 2020Midsummer in Sweden
Dec 26, 2022Boxing Day in East Yorkshire, England
Mar 27, 2022World Theatre Day
Mar 10, 2023Vale of Edale, Peak District, England
Apr 19, 2020Step into the dark
Apr 18, 2023International Day for Monuments and Sites
Aug 14, 2018Combating extinction with citizen science
Feb 1, 2023Black History Month
Jan 8, 2026Starling murmuration over the ruins of Brightons West Pier, England
May 7, 2023World Laughter Day
May 1, 2021It s Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month
Sep 20, 2023Aqueduct, Arkadia Park, Poland
Nov 19, 2020That bill s just not going to fit
Oct 5, 2022World Teachers Day
Apr 6, 2025National Library Week
Jun 8, 2021A day for our oceans
Feb 17, 2026Chinese New Year
May 24, 2025European Day of Parks