The Vatican, headquarters of the Catholic Church, is the smallest state in the world, with its own newspaper, national anthem ...

At its gates stand Swiss Guards, members of the oldest army in the world -- famous for its blue, red and yellow striped uniforms ... part of the so-called Papal States, areas of Italy under ...

In July 1809, French forces stormed the Quirinal Palace in Rome and abducted Pope Pius VII, taking him first to Savona in northern Italy and later to Fontainebleau, where he remained a prisoner for ...

red and yellow striped uniforms -- and the Vatican's police force. At its heart sits the pontiff, a regal figure in white, who wields absolute power as both the head of state and leader of the world's ...

A 1929 concordat with Italy established the state, restoring the political autonomy the papacy had enjoyed for centuries in the Papal States. These states in central Italy protected the Church ...

Pius VII excommunicated Napoleon notoriously when Napoleon seized the papal states. Pius VII was incarcerated by Napoleon before being freed after Napoleon died. Pius VII labored diligently to ...

Rain with a high of 74 °F (23.3 °C) and a 54% chance of precipitation. Winds from SW to SSW at 9 mph (14.5 kph). Night - Mostly cloudy with a 49% chance of precipitation. Winds variable at 4 to ...

The establishment of the Papal States in 756 gave the pope political control over parts of central Italy. Fifty popes ultimately hailed from the Papal States before it dissolved, according to ...

On the night of his election on March 13, 2013, Pope Francis told the assembled faithful from the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica that “tomorrow I wish to go and pray to the Madonna.” ...