As the site where St. Peter was martyred and buried, the Vatican became the residence of the popes who succeeded him. Decisions taken here have shaped the destiny of Europe, and the great basilica of St. Peter draws pilgrims from all over the Christian world. The papal palaces besides beside St. Peter’s house the Vatican Museums.
With the added attractions of Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel and the Raphael Rooms, their wonderful collection of Classical sculpture make them the finest museums in Rome.
The Vatican's position as a state within a state was guaranteed by the Lateran Treaty of 1929, marked by the building of a new road, the Via della Conciliazione.
This leads from St. Peter to Castel Sant' Angelo, a monument to a far grimmer past. Built originally as the Emperor Hadrian's mausoleum, this papal fortress and prison has witnessed many fierce battles for control of Rome.