Vatican City
Here, one of the most popular modes of transportation is the scooter. WIthin the Vatican’s walls are a bank, printing press, commissary, gas station, railroad, helipad, radio station, tennis court, medical clinic, hotel and offices of LOsservatore Romano, the Vaticans daily newspaper. (Susan Spano / Los Angeles Times)
Vatican City
“Sphere Within a Sphere,” by Italian sculptor Arnaldo Pomodoro, sits in the Pine Cone Courtyard in the Vatican Museums, which has seven miles of galleries. (Susan Spano / Los Angeles Times)
Vatican City
The Gallery of Maps in the Vatican Museums is a masterpiece of 40 historical-topographical maps of Italy devised in the 16th century by papal astronomer Ignazio Danti. Other must-see galleries include frescoed rooms by Raphael and, of course, the Sistine Chapel by Michelangelo. (Susan Spano / Los Angeles Times)
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Vatican City
Vatican City, though small, can be overwhelming, and that’s where guided tours can help. Tours cover the Vatican Museums-Sistine Chapel, the gardens and the pre-Christian necropolis underneath St. Peters Basilica, among other sights. Pictured, an official guide leads her group around the Vatican Museums. (Susan Spano / Los Angeles Times)
