2020-03-01 Reader\'s Digest AUNZ

PHOTOS:

DABOOST/SHUTTERSTOCK;

THE

VATICAN

Small Country,

BIG

Attraction

WhatmakesEurope’ssmallestcountriesspecial

• and whythey’reworth visiting

BYTimHulse

VATICAN CITY

AREA:0.44sqkm

POPULATION:around 800

T

heylike a drop of wine in

Europe’stiniestindependent

state.ThoseinVaticanCity

consume 105 bottlesa yearperhead

ofpopulation,according to figures

releasedbyCalifornia’sWineInsti-

tute.That’sdoubletheaverageofthe

inhabitantsofFranceorItaly.This

maybea consequenceofentertain-

ingvisitingdignitaries,fewchildren

amongtheresidentsandthatwineis

almostcompletelytaxfree.

Butit’sart,architectureandthe

Popethatdrawatleastfivemillion

peoplea yeartothisRomanenclave,

whichcanboasttruewonderssuchas

StPeter’sBasilica,theSistineChapel

andcountlessclassicalpaintingsand

sculptures:it’sbeensaidthatifyou

spendoneminutelookingateach

paintinginthemuseums,it willtake

you four years to see them all.

TRAVEL

100 March 2020