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Holy See Lifestyle and Culture

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Preparing yourself to stay with new people can be a mountain to climb alone. This is why RocApply has made this functional guide to help you with the process of acquiring information on the daily routines to observe in the land of the Vatican!

We are committed to making life easy for you! Apart from this, we can guarantee you that people here are as welcoming as it gets. You will certainly make a few friends with minimal effort here!

Cultural History

Since the disintegration of the Roman Empire and the diminishing of Byzantine power in Italy, Popes have been the de facto governors of Rome as well as many other parts of Italy.

These Papal States were hugely seized in the mid-19th century when the Kingdom of Italy was established, with Rome itself annexed in 1870. Disputes between the Popes and Italy were resolved with the 1929 Lateran Pacts, which created Holy See.

The site of the Holy See was used by Roman Emperor Nero for the Circus of Nero in the 1st century AD. The obelisk in St Peter’s Square originally dotted the center of the circus, with the circus having been the location of St Peter’s as well as many other Christian martyrs’ deaths by crucifixion during Roman demolition.

The grave of St Peter later became the location of St Peter’s Basilica under the order of Constantine.

Lifestyle

With its museums and basilica housing items of immense cultural significance, it is no wonder Holy See has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage site. Indeed, it contains some of the globe’s most glorious artworks, from Michelangelo’s frescos in the Sistine Chapel to Raphael’s decorations in the Stanze Della Segnatura.

Moreso, the Holy See Library protects hundreds of works of historical, cultural, and scientific significance.

This tiny state requires its visitors to show reverence and respect toward the Roman Catholic Church. This implies sleeveless or navel- or bust-revealing shirts, as well as those which feature profanities; shorts, above-knee length skirts, and excessive jewelry, are not allowed to be worn within Holy see territory. Hats should be removed before entering St Peter’s Basilica. Smoking is abolished, as is the use of cell phones.

One of the most visually stunning experiences visitors can have in Holy See is attending one of the Pope’s Sunday or Wednesday appearances, or his Easter or Christmas blessings. Such open-air masses in St Peter’s Square pull huge crowds.

The Vatican themselves are quiet and respectful people! This is evidenced by the level of security and peace the country offers. There is no need to contemplate about studying here.

The country lives up to its fame! Make your application today with RocApply and get started to roll with everyone else here.

" Its a place to be" - Martin from Canada

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