Never before has such a small area commanded the minds of so many, nor controlled so much in the way of priceless art and architecture. But command it does, and one need only stroll down to the colonnaded plaza of St Peter's Square come Easter to see it; the colossal crowds of Catholics craning upwards for a glance at the Pope; the gilded Swiss Guard shining in the sun; the vermillion suits of the cardinals all in a row.

There’s no denying the Vatican’s cultural clout. There are treasures here that no self-respecting history or heritage lover could possibly deem to pass over, and the sprawling rooms of the state museum remain unquestionably some of the most loaded on the globe, touting Caravaggio, Da Vinci and Raphael to name a few. The wonders don’t stop there either (indeed they hardly stop at all), because Vatican City tour guides also lead visitors through the Sistine Chapel, famously adorned with the The Last Judgement by Michelangelo. There is then the cavernous interior of St Peter's Basilica, where the tomb of the eponymous apostle lurks in the sepulchres below, and the mighty dome of Giacomo della Porta and Fontana rises to the very roof of the Eternal City above.