The international legal status of the Vatican/Holy See complex

This article offers a re-examination of the international legal status of what is here termed the Vatican/Holy See complex (VHS), focusing on claims to statehood. The problematic ‘effect’ of Vatican City, of the Holy See, of the papacy and of associated entities is interrogated at the level of international law, entering as little as possible into administrative or theological distinctions. The various grounds cited as supporting status amounting to statehood are argued to be inadequate. The continuing exchange of representatives with states by the VHS is missionary and hierarchical in character and is reflective neither of the reciprocity of peers nor of customary obligation going to law. Agreements entered into by the papacy with the Kingdom of Italy (the Lateran Pacts) in 1929, relating to the status of the geographical territory known as Vatican City, cannot be determinative of international status. Nor can membership of international agreements and organizations confer a status amounting to statehood. Events and practices since 1929 have not substantially altered international status as of 1870. The Roman Catholic Church is but one of many faith-based international movements, and since the eclipse of the papal state nearly one-and-a-half centuries ago, the status in international law of its temporal headquarters in Rome should not be privileged.

Information Guide: Vatican. August 2016

A guide to information sources on the Vatican City, with hyperlinks to information within European Sources Online and on external websites (For other language versions of this record click on the original url)

Guide to the Vatican museum of sculpture.

Mode of access: Internet.

Rome, Italy, 1705 (Raster Image)

This layer is a georeferenced raster image of the historic paper map entitled: Novissima et accuratissima delineatio Romae veteris et novae : in viatorum usum et commoditatem excusa, Petri Vander Aa. It was published by Petri Vander Aa in [1705]. Scale [ca. 1:20,040]. Covers Rome, Italy and Vatican City. Map in Latin and Italian.The image inside the map neatline is georeferenced to the surface of the earth and fit to the "European Datum 1950 UTM Zone 33N" coordinate system. All map collar and inset information is also available as part of the raster image, including any inset maps, profiles, statistical tables, directories, text, illustrations, index maps, legends, or other information associated with the principal map.This map shows features such as roads, drainage, built-up areas and selected buildings pictorially, walls, gates, fortification, ground cover, and more. Relief is shown by hachures. Includes indexes.This layer is part of a selection of digitally scanned and georeferenced historic maps from The Harvard Map Collection as part of the Imaging the Urban Environment project. Maps selected for this project represent major urban areas and cities of the world, at various time periods. These maps typically portray both natural and manmade features at a large scale. The selection represents a range of regions, originators, ground condition dates, scales, and purposes.

Rome, Italy, 1715 (Raster Image)

This layer is a georeferenced raster image of the historic paper map entitled: Urbis Romae veteris ac modernae accurata delineatio, edita a Ioh. Bapt. Homanno S.C.M. geographo Norimbergae. It was published by Joh. Bapt. Homannus in [1715]. Scale [ca. 1:20,040]. Covers Rome, Italy and Vatican City. Map in Latin and German.The image inside the map neatline is georeferenced to the surface of the earth and fit to the "European Datum 1950 UTM Zone 33N" coordinate system. All map collar and inset information is also available as part of the raster image, including any inset maps, profiles, statistical tables, directories, text, illustrations, index maps, legends, or other information associated with the principal map.This map shows features such as roads, drainage, built-up areas and selected buildings pictorially, walls, gates, fortification, ground cover, and more. Relief is shown by hachures. Includes text, index, and illustrations.This layer is part of a selection of digitally scanned and georeferenced historic maps from The Harvard Map Collection as part of the Imaging the Urban Environment project. Maps selected for this project represent major urban areas and cities of the world, at various time periods. These maps typically portray both natural and manmade features at a large scale. The selection represents a range of regions, originators, ground condition dates, scales, and purposes.

Rome, Italy, 1755 (Raster Image)

This layer is a georeferenced raster image of the historic paper map entitled: Vrbis Romae ichnographia, à Leonardo Bufalino ligneis formis evulgata atque aeri incisa à Ioh. Baptista Nolli, geometra et architecto summi Pontificus Benedicti XIV. It was published by Offic. Homann in 1755. Scale [ca. 1:5,000]. Covers Rome, Italy and Vatican City. Map in Latin.The image inside the map neatline is georeferenced to the surface of the earth and fit to the "European Datum 1950 UTM Zone 33N" coordinate system. All map collar and inset information is also available as part of the raster image, including any inset maps, profiles, statistical tables, directories, text, illustrations, index maps, legends, or other information associated with the principal map.This map shows features such as roads, drainage, built-up areas and selected buildings, walls, gates, fortification, and more. Relief is shown by hachures. Includes indexes.This layer is part of a selection of digitally scanned and georeferenced historic maps from The Harvard Map Collection as part of the Imaging the Urban Environment project. Maps selected for this project represent major urban areas and cities of the world, at various time periods. These maps typically portray both natural and manmade features at a large scale. The selection represents a range of regions, originators, ground condition dates, scales, and purposes.

Rome, Italy, 1823 (Raster Image)

This layer is a georeferenced raster image of the historic paper map entitled: Nuova pianta di Roma Moderna, estratta dalla grande del Nolli corretta ed accresciuta de nomi delle contrade indicati al loro rispettivo sito in Roma; Pietro Ruga incise. It was published by Venanzio Monaldini Libraio e Cartolaro in 1823. Scale [ca. 1:9,120]. Covers Rome, Italy and Vatican City. The image inside the map neatline is georeferenced to the surface of the earth and fit to the "European Datum 1950 UTM Zone 33N" coordinate system. All map collar and inset information is also available as part of the raster image, including any inset maps, profiles, statistical tables, directories, text, illustrations, index maps, legends, or other information associated with the principal map. This map shows features such as roads, drainage, city districts, walls, gates, and fortifications, selected buildings, and more. Relief is shown by hachures. Includes index and inset plans: Pianta della Chiesa di S. Lorenzo fuori le mura -- Mausoleo di S. Costanza -- Pianta della Basilica di S. Paolo -- Pianta del Pantheon, degli avanzi delle Terme di Agrippa, e dé ruderi scoperti recentemente. This layer is part of a selection of digitally scanned and georeferenced historic maps from The Harvard Map Collection as part of the Imaging the Urban Environment project. Maps selected for this project represent major urban areas and cities of the world, at various time periods. These maps typically portray both natural and manmade features at a large scale. The selection represents a range of regions, originators, ground condition dates, scales, and purposes.

Rome, Italy, 1832 (Raster Image)

This layer is a georeferenced raster image of the historic paper map entitled: Pianta della citta di Roma : con la indicazione di tvtte le antichita e nvovi abbellimenti nell anno MDCCCXXXII, Pietro Ruga incise. It was published by Venanzio Monaldini libraio e cartolaro in 1832. Scale [ca. 1:5,066]. Covers Rome, Italy and Vatican City.The image inside the map neatline is georeferenced to the surface of the earth and fit to the "European Datum 1950 UTM Zone 33N" coordinate system. All map collar and inset information is also available as part of the raster image, including any inset maps, profiles, statistical tables, directories, text, illustrations, index maps, legends, or other information associated with the principal map. This map shows features such as roads, drainage, city districts, walls, gates, and fortifications, selected buildings, and more. Relief is shown by hachures. Includes indices and architectural engravings at left and right margins: Basilica di S. Giovanni -- Interno di S. Giovanni -- Basilica di S. Paolo -- Interno di S. Paolo -- Campidoglio Moderno -- Anfiteatro Favio -- Primaide di C. Cestio -- Foro Trajano -- Basilica di S. Pietro -- Interno di S. Pietro -- Basilica di S. M.a Maggiore -- Interno di S. M.a Maggiore -- Pantheon di Agrippa -- Interno del Pantheon -- Monte Cavallo -- Foro Romano. This layer is part of a selection of digitally scanned and georeferenced historic maps from The Harvard Map Collection as part of the Imaging the Urban Environment project. Maps selected for this project represent major urban areas and cities of the world, at various time periods. These maps typically portray both natural and manmade features at a large scale. The selection represents a range of regions, originators, ground condition dates, scales, and purposes.

Rome, Italy, 1846 (Raster Image)

This layer is a georeferenced raster image of the historic paper map entitled: Pianta topografica di Roma, disegnata ed incisa Giacinata Vedova Piale. It was published by Giacinta Vedova Piale in 1846. Scale [ca. 1:6,000]. Covers Rome, Italy and Vatican City. Map in Italian. The image inside the map neatline is georeferenced to the surface of the earth and fit to the "European Datum 1950 UTM Zone 33N" coordinate system. All map collar and inset information is also available as part of the raster image, including any inset maps, profiles, statistical tables, directories, text, illustrations, index maps, legends, or other information associated with the principal map.This map shows features such as roads, drainage, built-up areas and selected buildings, walls, gates, fortification, ground cover, and more. Relief is shown by hachures. Includes notes, indexes, illustrations, and inset: Pianta della compagna Romana e sua vicinanze.This layer is part of a selection of digitally scanned and georeferenced historic maps from The Harvard Map Collection as part of the Imaging the Urban Environment project. Maps selected for this project represent major urban areas and cities of the world, at various time periods. These maps typically portray both natural and manmade features at a large scale. The selection represents a range of regions, originators, ground condition dates, scales, and purposes.

Rome, Italy, 1862 (Raster Image)

This layer is a georeferenced raster image of the historic paper map entitled: Pianta di Roma, Giovanni Montiroli inv. e dis. le vedute; Augusto Fornari incise; Domenico Feltrini scrisse. It was published by Luigi Piale in nell' anno MDCCCLXII [i.e., 1862]. Scale [ca. 1:8,500,000]. Covers Rome, Italy and Vatican City. The image inside the map neatline is georeferenced to the surface of the earth and fit to the "European Datum 1950 UTM Zone 33N" coordinate system. All map collar and inset information is also available as part of the raster image, including any inset maps, profiles, statistical tables, directories, text, illustrations, index maps, legends, or other information associated with the principal map. This map shows features such as roads, drainage, city districts, walls, gates, and fortifications, selected buildings, and more. Relief is shown by hachures. Includes indices and inset: Controni di Roma.This layer is part of a selection of digitally scanned and georeferenced historic maps from The Harvard Map Collection as part of the Imaging the Urban Environment project. Maps selected for this project represent major urban areas and cities of the world, at various time periods. These maps typically portray both natural and manmade features at a large scale. The selection represents a range of regions, originators, ground condition dates, scales, and purposes.

Rome, Italy, 1881 (Raster Image)

This layer is a georeferenced raster image of the historic paper map entitled: Pianta della città di Roma, 1881. It was published by Libreria Spithöver in 1881. Scale 1:8,800. Covers also Vatican City.The image inside the map neatline is georeferenced to the surface of the earth and fit to the "European Datum 1950 UTM Zone 33N" coordinate system. All map collar and inset information is also available as part of the raster image, including any inset maps, profiles, statistical tables, directories, text, illustrations, index maps, legends, or other information associated with the principal map. This map shows features such as roads, drainage, aqueducts, city walls, gates, and fortifications, selected buildings, villas, and points of interest, and more. Relief is shown by hachures. Indices at margins.This layer is part of a selection of digitally scanned and georeferenced historic maps from The Harvard Map Collection as part of the Imaging the Urban Environment project. Maps selected for this project represent major urban areas and cities of the world, at various time periods. These maps typically portray both natural and manmade features at a large scale. The selection represents a range of regions, originators, ground condition dates, scales, and purposes.