What is the Vatican City State?

A sovereign state with historical significance and global influence.

How is the Pope elected?

The Pope is elected by Cardinals under eighty during a Conclave.

An elite corps responsible for protecting the Vatican.

A security force responsible for various duties within the Vatican.

St. Peter's Basilica, the Sistine Chapel, and Michelangelo's masterpieces.

The Pope holds immense power over 1.4 billion Catholics worldwide, making Vatican City State a significant religious and political entity.
The Vatican City State, with its rich history dating back to ancient times, houses iconic institutions like the Swiss Guard and the Secret Archives, contributing to its unique and mysterious aura.

What is the Vatican City State?
A sovereign state with historical significance and global influence.
How is the Pope elected?
The Pope is elected by Cardinals under eighty during a Conclave.
What is the Swiss Guard?
An elite corps responsible for protecting the Vatican.
What is the Vatican Gendarmerie?
A security force responsible for various duties within the Vatican.
What are some architectural marvels in the Vatican?
St. Peter's Basilica, the Sistine Chapel, and Michelangelo's masterpieces.

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Vatican City State is the smallest state on Earth, measuring 0.17 square miles with 840 inhabitants.
The Pope, ruler of the Vatican, holds significant influence over 1.4 billion Catholics globally.
The Vatican City State's history dates back to ancient times, with origins in an area of marshes and hills in Rome.
St. Peter's martyrdom led to the development of a necropolis, covered by a basilica in 324 CE.
Julius II initiated changes in the Vatican, including the involvement of artists like Raphael and Michelangelo.
The Lateran Pacts in 1929 marked the establishment of the Vatican City as a sovereign State.
Popes like Pious XI, Pious XII, John XXIII, John Paul II, Benedict XVI, and Francis I have left significant impacts on the Vatican.
The Pope is elected by Cardinals under eighty during a Conclave, becoming the absolute monarch of the Vatican City State.
The Vatican City State is recognized by all UN members and hosts institutions like the Vatican Observatory and the Apostolic Penitentiary.
The Apostolic Penitentiary absolves specific sins, including breaking the secrecy of confession and attempting to assassinate the Pope.

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The Vatican is defended by the Swiss Guard, a small elite corps of around 150 troops since 1506.
The Swiss Guard is known for their ceremonial roles and modern equipment like 3D-printed helmets and firearms.
Criteria to join the Swiss Guard include being male, Swiss, single, at least 1.76 meters tall, having a post-secondary degree, being Catholic, and completing military school in Switzerland.
The Vatican Gendarmerie, founded in 1816, handles security, public order, police duties, border control, and financial regulations.
The Gendarmerie cooperates with the Swiss Guard in protecting the Pope and the Vatican.
The Secret Archives of the Vatican contain historic records, including trials of the Knights Templar and Galileo, and correspondence with world leaders like Abraham Lincoln and Jefferson Davis.
Mysterious deaths within the Vatican include Pope John Paul I in 1978 and Colonel Alois Estermann in 1998, with conspiracy theories surrounding both.
The Vatican's chief exorcist, Father Gabriele Amorth, claimed to have expelled over 300 demons annually and believed in the influence of the Antichrist on Church scandals.
Architectural marvels in the Vatican City include St. Peter's Basilica, the Sistine Chapel, and Michelangelo's masterpieces.
Michelangelo's first experience with fresco painting was the Sistine Chapel's ceiling, where he also painted the Last Judgement, overcoming initial challenges to create iconic works.

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The speaker, likening themselves to the Gendarmes, mentions they are accustomed to only having one hour of leave every two months.