| The Vatican City, home to the Pope, has many spectacular buildings and churches to visit. It is actually the world's smallest independent sovereign state and its most popular tourist attraction is the Sistine Chapel, with a vast ceiling that was painted by Michelangelo in 1508. This enormous ceiling, with scenes depicting the story of creation, took the artist over three years to complete and he was paid very little for his efforts. Other attractions at the Vatican include St. Peter's Basilica, built over 1,500 years ago and whose cavernous interior can hold a staggering 60,000 people, the Vatican Library, which has more than one million books and manuscripts, and the splendid Vatican Garden, landscaped over 1,000 years ago and now meticulously maintained by 30 full-time gardeners. More information on Rome Tourist Attractions... |
