Vatican City and Rome – A State Within a State

The Relationship Between the Two States

Italy's capital Rome is a main economic engine of the country. It depends on the Italian motion picture industry, the tourism industry, and other industries like service and communications businesses to drive growth.

When we speak of tourism though, one main tourist draw is the Vatican City - a city state which has its own 44-hectare walled-off territory within Rome. Thus, we can say that Vatican City is a sovereign state within a state. The Roman Catholic Church is based in Vatican City under the authority of the Pope (also called the Bishop of Rome.) The Pope is an absolute monarch.