What is really in the Vatican archives?
The Secret Archives also hold an extremely secretive document: the minutes of the trials against the Knights Templar. Known as the Chinon Parchment, it’s the size of a dining room table, and it documents the trials of the Roman Catholic military order for things like blasphemous behavior and heresy during the Crusades.
What artifacts are in the Vatican?
Among the 200-plus priceless artifacts – many never exhibited before – are papal jewels; bone fragments belonging to Saint Peter and Saint Paul; personal effects of Pope John Paul II; and swords, armor, and uniforms of the papal Swiss Guard.
Are there secret passages in the Vatican?
The Vatican’s secret archives themselves aren’t truly a secret. One is allowed entrance but the catch is, according to Tony Perrottet, you have to know what you’re looking for. Perhaps the most intriguing secret of the Vatican is, surprisingly, a bathroom — decorated in erotic frescoes — in the papal apartments.
What is held in the Vatican?
The Pontiff as the Sovereign of Vatican City, owns the material held in the archive until his death or resignation, with ownership passing to his successor. The archive also contains state papers, correspondence, account books, and many other documents that the church has accumulated over the centuries.
What churches have relics?
Relics are an important aspect of some forms of Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, shamanism, and many other religions. Relic derives from the Latin reliquiae, meaning “remains”, and a form of the Latin verb relinquere, to “leave behind, or abandon”.
What exactly is the Vatican?
The Vatican is the city state in Rome ruled by the pope that is the center of the Roman Catholic Church. You can also use the Vatican to refer to the pope or his officials.
How many rooms are in the Vatican?
1400 rooms
Its 1400 rooms, chapels, and galleries constitute former wings of the Vatican Palace.