Vatican City is the smallest country in the
world. It is an eighth the size of New York’s Central Park and is
governed as an absolute monarchy with the pope at its head, writes
Christopher Klein in “10 Things You May Not Know About the Vatican.“
And since it holds secrets, the day of a
“consistory” — when the pope elevates new cardinals at a formal ceremony
in St. Peter’s Basilica — is the best time to visit.