View Full Version : European City-States
This article is not about Renaissance's Florence, Rome or Venice. It is about present-day cities that are also states (like a US state) of their own, with their own parliament and laws. Do they exist ? Yes ! There are a few of them :
Germany, a federal country made of 16 states, has given state status to 3 of its cities : Hamburg (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamburg), Bremen (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bremen_%28state%29) and Berlin (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berlin). The two first have a long tradition of independence, being major Hanseatic cities since the Middle Ages. Berlin is the capital and largest city in the country.
The most usual for federal states which have city-states is to grant that special priviledge to their capital, like Berlin. Belgium has done the same, but for different reasons. The Brussels Capital-Region (http://www.eupedia.com/belgium/brussels.shtml) has become a state not just for being the biggest city and national capital, but also for being the European capital and for being a bilingual city, which didn't fit in either Dutch-speaking Flanders or French-speaking Wallonia.
The last European city-state is Madrid, one of the 17 autonomous communities of Spain, and in many ways similar to Berlin's situation.
One other city state is Vatican City; formally State of the Vatican City, or Vatican City State.
It is the smallest state in the world and it is situated inside his walls in the city of Rome.
It can be easily accessed in only two areas: St Peter Basilica and The Vatican Museum/Chapels and garden; however offices market and shops can only be entered with the appropriate pass and or passport.
Before the unification of Italy the Vatican state used to cover the whole centre part of the Italian peninsula up to the north-east coast, the head of state was so called the pope king (Papa Ré) which was not only the spiritual guide but also the owner of the land. For many years the papacy role was distributed among the noble Roman Families: (Colonna, Borgia, Orsini) and the election of a new pope could cause a small war between the families (Famous the ones from Orsini against the Colonna).
Rome (Vatican State ruled) fell into the Italians in 1870 but the Vatican was recognised as independent country only in 1929 with the gPatti Lateranensih with the fascist government.
For more info on the this state: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vatican_State
Right. I also forgot Monaco...
One other city state is Vatican City; formally State of the Vatican City, or Vatican City State.
It is the smallest state in the world and it is situated inside his walls in the city of Rome.
It can be easily accessed in only two areas: St Peter Basilica and The Vatican Museum/Chapels and garden; however offices market and shops can only be entered with the appropriate pass and or passport.
Before the unification of Italy the Vatican state used to cover the whole centre part of the Italian peninsula up to the north-east coast, the head of state was so called the pope king (Papa Ré) which was not only the spiritual guide but also the owner of the land. For many years the papacy role was distributed among the noble Roman Families: (Colonna, Borgia, Orsini) and the election of a new pope could cause a small war between the families (Famous the ones from Orsini against the Colonna).
Rome (Vatican State ruled) fell into the Italians in 1870 but the Vatican was recognised as independent country only in 1929 with the gPatti Lateranensih with the fascist government.
For more info on the this state: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vatican_State
I went to the Vatican once with my husband and his friends, it's a nice little city very pretty.
I went to the Vatican once with my husband and his friends, it's a nice little city very pretty.
If you can call it a city. It's more like a big cathedral and a big chapel surrounded by a big square and a few buildings... It's the world's only "city district state" or n"neighbourhood state". :D
I went to the Vatican once with my husband and his friends, it's a nice little city very pretty.
Yes the gardens and all the turists places are wonderful! however the other parts like supermarket, streets and offices will need of a modernisation.
If you can call it a city. It's more like a big cathedral and a big chapel surrounded by a big square and a few buildings... It's the world's only "city district state" or n"neighbourhood state".
Ok Ok , sovereign city-state...microstate...ah shut up...:p
Yes the gardens and all the turists places are wonderful! however the other parts like supermarket, streets and offices will need of a modernisation.
I didn't get to go to the supermarkets; we only visited the tourist area.
Is there supermarkets in the Vatican ? They are already difficult to find in central Rome (apart from privately owned grocery shops)...
Is there supermarkets in the Vatican ? They are already difficult to find in central Rome (apart from privately owned grocery shops)...
It does, actually...
34 = (via S. Veniero) a medium-sized supermarket, very close to the Vatican Museums.
35 = (via S. Veniero) another medium-sized supermarket, even closer to the Vatican Museums
Taken from : http://www.stuardtclarkesrome.com/vatmap.htm
This is an article from Yahoo:
http://travel.news.yahoo.com/b/rba_daily/rba_daily4487
Vatican City has its own coinage, stamps, post office, supermarket, railway station, Internet domain (.va), and bank, where the ATMs use Latin.
Is there supermarkets in the Vatican ? They are already difficult to find in central Rome (apart from privately owned grocery shops)...
Yes they have a supermarket only for the Vatican residents and employee, people need to pass the swiss guards with a pass or passport. Is cheaper because you don't pay VAT. I have been there only once as my godfather used to work for thr Vatican newspaper.
Also near St Giovanni in Laterano Basilica there is a Vatican petrol station, same as for the supermarket to get fuel you need the pass, but petrol costs almost half of the price.
Is San Marino consider a city-state in Europe ?
I found this country name as I rummaged through my shoebox of Europe stamp accumulation the other day.
San Marino is more like a "town-state"; its population is under 30,000. Amazing to see all the things we have in Europe : neighbourhood-state, town-state, city-states... :p
Some info about San Marino, if you go there check out the antiquary flea market.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_marino
YOu can also check Liechtenstein another really small country within Europe.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liechtenstein
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