"The Vatican, city of art and the pope." Vatican City by tompt

The Vatican, a city state inside the citylimits of Rome, is since long the centre of the catholic church. The city is so small you can not miss the major sights like the St Peters, and the museums. If you are lucky and you are visiting on the right time you can see the pope when he blesses the people in the square in front of St Peters. It is wise to take a large telelens though.......
The present pope (John-Paul II) is the 265th pope. He is pope since 1978. Popes are chosen for life.

The dome of St Peters

The history of the Vatican as a papal residence dates back to the 5th century. Emperor Constantine I had built the basilica of St. Peter's and Pope Symmachus built a palace nearby. Normally the pope resided in the Lateran Palace in Avignon, France. But with the return of the papacy to Rome (1377) the Vatican became the usual residence. The Renaissance popes ( Sixtus IV , Innocent VIII , Alexander VI , Julius II , Leo X , and Clement VII ) were patrons of the arts and they began to collect art.

More about the vatican: http://www.vatican.va