Viewpoint

Vatican Hill

Vatican Hill, or *Colle Vaticano* in Italian, gives Vatican City its name, and that connection goes all the way back to the ancient *Ager Vaticanus* on the west bank of the Tiber. In Roman times, this area lay outside the main city and was known for imperial and funerary activity, which is why early Christian memory here is so layered. Tradition places the martyrdom of Saint Peter on this ground, and the basilica built in his name later became the spiritual center of the hill. Today, the hill is inseparable from the Vatican’s great ensemble of St. Peter’s Basilica, the Apostolic Palace, and the surrounding ceremonial spaces that rose over centuries on a place already heavy with history. …
— WayWhisper audio guide

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