Vatican City Local Customs

  St. Peters in Vatican City
by Beausoleil
 
  • St. Peters in Vatican City
      St. Peters in Vatican City
    by Beausoleil
  • Swiss Guard at the Vatican
      Swiss Guard at the Vatican
    by Beausoleil
  •   Local Customs
    by ECYM
  • Regular duty, classic pose
      Regular duty, classic pose
    by alza
  • Grand gala dummy sans morion
      Grand gala dummy sans morion
    by alza
 

Reviews from VirtualTourist Members

Want to contact the Vatican Gift Shop?

by Beausoleil

Here is the e-mail address given on their web site. info@vaticangift.comIt looks like they only sell religious articles online and the e-mail contact also specifies interest in a religious article. I suspect the scarves and other souvenir-type things are just brought into the shop for tourists.Here are the address, phone and fax numbers so you can try to contact them. Vatican Gift di Sonya LombardiVia Marianna Dionigi, 43Italy 00193 RomePhone: +39 (0)6 322 57 31Fax: +39 (0)6 322 57 31If you haven't phoned Italy before, here are instructions from the USA.To call an Italian phone number from the US or Canada, dial as follows:· first dial the US long distance code 011· then the country code (39 for Italy)· then the city code (do not drop the leading zero)· then the numberGood luck.

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If you speak Latin

by GentleSpirit

The Vatican is, of course, entirely within the city of Rome. But it is also the only city-state that officially speaks Latin. So, finally, those of you who had to labor long hours to try to master Latin in High School or college, you'll have your chance to shine. I can read some Latin, but I can't distinguish it very well from Italian, especially when it is spoken, but it wasn't hard to find someone who spoke english or spanish

The Vatican Newspaper

by Manara

The Vatican has its own journal: “L’osservatore romano” (The Roman Observer) a daily newspaper with six issues per week (no issue on Mondays, to let the staff rest on Sudays). The journal has also a weekly edition in several languages: Italian, German, French, English, Polish, Spanish and Portuguese. It is available also online.Why is it not called “L’osservatore Vaticano”? Because when it was founded, in 1861, Rome was still the capital city of the Church Kingdom, so when Rome was conquered in 1870 and the Church Kingdom was reduced to the small area of the Vatican, the journal kept its name.In the picture you see a copy of the weekly edition. Normally I do not read it, but I happened to find this copy in the business lounge of an airport.

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Queue ing for.......................

by unravelau

St. Peters is huge. I knew that it was huge before I left Australia but the thought that hadn't crossed my mind was.............'if I join a queue, will I know what I am going to see at the top of it?' There seemed to be queues going everywhere and I thought that well it must be something special. Halfway through the queue and shuffle time I determined that I must be in the queue to see one of the saints burial places?? Along the way and maybe to fill in time we faltered at this statue and bent over to ?.......... as it came to my turn, I realised that we were to kiss the foot of this statue. His foot has melted into the marble base having been kissed a few million times (I'm guessing). I looked around like a lost sheep and joined another queue. It seemed like hours of queues......and was in fact but I did get to my destination eventually.UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE...

Swiss Guards

by alza

English name: Pontifical Swiss GuardOriginal name: Guardia Svizzera Pontificia - Cohors Pedestris Helvetiorum a Sacra Custodia PontificisI saw one Swiss Guard from up close, by the Porta Angelica. He was in regular duty uniform, that is, a simple, solid blue version of the tri-colour grand gala uniform.He had a brown belt, flat white collar, and the black beret worn on daily duty.(The morion helmet is reserved for ceremonial.)In bad weather, the guards wear a dark blue cape over their uniform.This guy had style, just look at the way he stands! but then, they all have style.

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Annual NEW YEAR'S DAY CELEBRATION

by icunme

Every year, tens of thousands gather in St. Peter's Square, filling the streets with pageantry and music, to celebrate and receive the Pope's New Year's Day blessing. A focal point of Rome's holiday season and the Pope's Worldwide Day of Peace, the Rome New Year's Parade celebrates life, cultural diversity and international good-will. In keeping with the Italian tradition, enthusiastic spectators fall into step alongside the bands as they proceed from the grand Via della Conciliazione and culminates in St. Peter's Square.

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Visiting chapel at St. Peter's Basilica

by hopang

The chapel inside St. Peter's Basilica can be visited by locals, members of the public and foreign tourists. However when we visit a chapel inside St. Peter's Basilica especially the Chapel of the Choir which is located near the entrance to St. Peter's Basilica, we have to take off our hats or caps, keep silent or keep our voice down to show respect to the chapel and to the locals and foreign visitors who pray in silence in the chapel. Dress code also applies for entering the chapel as well as St. Peter's Basilica. Nevertheless we could not remember whether photography and video recording is permitted inside the chapel!

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Exorcism lessons exist

by icunme

(newspaper account - ref news.telegraph) It is a devil of a job but someone has to do it. Applications are invited for exorcism training at the Vatican's Rome university, the Athenaeum Pontificium Regina Apostolorum. "Exorcism and the Prayer of Liberation" is the 10-week course including sessions in exorcism rites, how to talk to the Devil, the tricks he uses to fight back and signs of the occult hidden in rock music and video games. Students also attend classes in psychology so that priests can distinguish between "real cases" of satanic possession and illnesses such as schizophrenia.The recruitment drive comes amid growing Vatican concern about a rise in Satanism. Pope Benedict XVI this week praised 180 of the students gathered at a secret location outside Rome."I encourage you to continue your important ministry in the services of the Church," the new Pope told them, saying their work...

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Urbi et orbi

by croisbeauty

If in Rome on the first of January all roads lead to Piazza San Pietro, for both locals and tourists. It isn't important to which congregation one belongs, there on that day you can meet people from all over the world. On that day there is a huge crowd, heterogeneous but united and full of joy. Everybody is coming to hear the Pope and his words of hope and peace. On that day and spot I felt like sharing brotherhood with all the people from the entire world.

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Swiss Guards

by stevemt

The Swiss Guards who guard the Vatican are all Swiss Nationals, and supposedly wear a uniform designed by Michaelangelo.Recruits to the guards need to be Catholic, single males with Swiss citizenship who have completed basic training with the Swiss military and can obtain certificates of good conduct. New recruits must have a professional diploma or high school degree and must be between 19 and 30 years of age and at least 174 cm (5'9") tall.

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Questions and Answers

Irkita62 profile photo

Q:  How I can book tickets for the visit of Vatican Gardens in minibus and than museums of Vatican? In thw website I find the Vatican... 

goodfish profile photo

A: The only thing I can find for the gardens that mentions a minivan - and it isn't even very definite - is this... 

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