Vatican Hill

The Vatican hill on a tapestry of about 1519

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The Vatican Hill (Latin: mons Vaticanus ) is an existing mainly of tufa hills in the Vatican City, which is located near the right bank of the Tiber. Its height is 75 meters, making it the hill is the highest elevation in the Vatican.

Antiquity and the Early Middle Ages

The plain at the foot of the hill ( between Monte Mario and the Janiculum in the north to the south) was called in ancient times as ager Vaticanus ( " Vatican box "). In the Republican era summer mansions were built there.

After the cult of the Great Mother Cybele was introduced in the year 204 BC in Rome, was built on the mons Vaticanus a sanctuary of Cybele and Attiskultes, the so-called Phrygianum. For a certain central position in the Cybele cult is the fact that even communities outside Rome could call her sanctuary as mons Vaticanus. So reports a dated on 23 August 236 inscription from Mainz- Kastel, that the cult association of the " spear carrier " of the Mattiaci the "off senility collapsed mons Vaticanus " in honor of the goddess Bellona ( = Cybele ) was restored. It is believed that the mons Vaticanus was a cave sanctuary both in Mainz -Kastel, as well as in Rome. Maybe there was such a cave shrine under the current St. Peter's Basilica, because of the expansion of the church in the years 1608/ 09 appeared on a range of beautifully crafted altars of Cybele and Attiskultes from the earth, which can be seen in the Vatican Museum.

Emperor Caligula at the southern slopes of the Vatican hill, outside the former city walls built, a circus. According to tradition, Peter suffered there in 64 or 67 under Emperor Nero martyred. He was buried in a cemetery north of the Circus ( in addition to Christians and Gentiles and Jews were buried ). A part of the hill was removed under Constantine, to build the first Peter's Basilica on the supposed grave of the Apostle (326). Parts of this ancient burial ground form the Vatican Necropolis beneath St. Peter's Basilica. The Vatican thus became the central shrine of St. Peter worship. Other buildings erected on the hill, especially so -called scholae, the pilgrims of different nationalities accommodations, chapels and cemeteries offered, but there would also have weirs In the following centuries. Under Leo IV larger fortifications were in the middle of the 9th century erected around the entire pilgrimage ( including the Leonine wall partially preserved until today ).

Late Middle Ages and modern times

To the home of the Pope and the administration of the Curia, the Vatican was, when the popes returned to Avignon at the end of the 14th century after the schism from exile. Previously, the popes resided in the Lateran Palace.

Today, located at the hill the Vatican Museums, the Vatican Gardens and Palace of the Popes. The entire hill is surrounded by walls and forms the territory of the independent state of Vatican City.