Vatican City, Rome, Italy Jul 23, 2025

Vatican City, Rome, Italy

In the middle of Rome, Italy, lies an entire country of its own: Vatican City. At just 49 hectares, it"s the smallest independent nation in the world, yet its reach spans centuries and continents. Home to the pope and the spiritual centre of the Roman Catholic Church, this walled enclave is a blend of art, history and devotion. At its core stands St. Peter"s Basilica. Seen in the distance in today"s image, this Renaissance masterpiece is built over what is believed to be the tomb of Saint Peter, the first Bishop of Rome. With its soaring dome dominating the skyline, the basilica is one of the largest churches in the world. Just beyond the basilica lies St. Peter"s Square, where thousands gather for papal blessings.

© RudyBalasko/Getty Images

palette

Today in History

Jul 23, 2024Methoni Castle, Messinia, Greece

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Jan 21, 2025Eurasian red squirrel
Feb 10, 2025Art Installation of umbrellas, London, England
Dec 7, 2024Arraial do Cabo, Brazil
Dec 19, 2023Cachoeira da Fumacinha, Bahia, Brazil
Dec 24, 2024Half-timbered Houses of Freudenberg, Germany
Mar 3, 2025Yellow-billed hornbills in Kruger National Park, South Africa
Sep 30, 2024Walruses in Svalbard, Norway
Oct 28, 2024Pumpkin field, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
Mar 29, 2026Peggys Point Lighthouse, Atlantic Coast, Nova Scotia, Canada
Feb 14, 2025Magellanic penguins
Nov 19, 2023Alam-Pedja Nature Reserve, Estonia
Feb 9, 2025Alstrom Point, Lake Powell, United States
Jan 8, 2026Yellow-chevroned parakeets
Nov 30, 2023The Old Man of Storr, Isle of Skye, Scotland, UK
Jul 31, 2025Kalalau Beach on the Nā Pali Coast, Kauai, Hawaii, United States
Jul 4, 2025Orosei, Sardinia, Italy
Mar 18, 2026Tom McCall Waterfront Park, Portland, Oregon, USA
Apr 18, 2024Medieval city walls, Ávila, Spain
May 28, 2025Sea otter
Jul 11, 2025Tokyo at sunrise, Japan
Mar 9, 2026Grey seal sleeping on the beach, Orkney Islands, Scotland
Oct 11, 2023The Painted Hills, Oregon, USA
Sep 10, 2023Walruses in Svalbard, Norway
Jan 2, 2025Ardez village, Graubunden, Switzerland
Apr 18, 2025Göreme Historical National Park in Cappadocia, Türkiye
Jan 31, 2025Plains zebras, South Africa
Oct 19, 2023Castell y Gwynt, Snowdonia, Wales, United Kingdom
Jan 16, 2024Lake Louise, Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada
Feb 17, 2025Coll dAres, Catalan Pyrenees
Feb 22, 2025Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Missouri, United States