The world's smallest state and its greatest art
Vatican City, entirely surrounded by Rome, is the smallest independent state in the world and the spiritual centre of the Catholic Church. St Peter's Basilica is vast and overwhelming, with Michelangelo's Pietà and his dome, which you can climb for views over the city. The Vatican Museums hold centuries of papal collections, from classical sculpture to the Raphael Rooms, ending at the Sistine Chapel. Book museum tickets ahead and dress modestly.