Holy mysteries

There are no hospitals or prisons in the Vatican: Here's why

Image: Jamie Evawin

Located in the heart of Rome, the Vatican is a city-state with roots that stretch far beyond its official founding year. And while you might think you’ve heard all about it, the world’s smallest country still holds plenty of secrets. Let’s uncover 10 fascinating facts hidden within its walls.

Image: NASA

In July 1969, the United States sent the first humans who reached the moon. But what exactly did the astronauts bring along with them? Believe it or not, a small Vatican City flag flew aboard Apollo 11 and made it all the way to the moon. Later, President Nixon presented that same flag to Pope Paul VI.

Image: Kelsey Knight

Wine in the Vatican isn’t just for Mass. In fact, this tiny city-state has the world’s highest wine consumption per capita! That may sound shocking, but it becomes a little more reasonable when you consider two things: there are no children in the population, so almost everyone is of drinking age, and residents also enjoy tax-free wine.

Image: Luma Pimentel

Did you know there are no hospitals and no delivery rooms at all? That’s right! You can’t become a Vatican citizen by birth. Citizenship is granted only based on a person’s role or employment within the Holy See.

Image: Ivan Lemekhov

You can’t just choose to live in the Vatican. Just as citizenship isn’t granted by birth, it isn’t permanent either. Those who become citizens hold it only temporarily, and it’s revoked once their service ends.

Image: Sebastian Herrmann

Due to the large number of daily visitors, minor crimes like pickpocketing can occur. However, the Vatican doesn’t have a formal prison system. While there are a few temporary detention facilities, anyone sentenced to prison serves their time in Italian jails.

Image: chan lee

It turns out no one has pets inside the Vatican walls, and it’s not because they don’t like animals. There is actually a rule that prohibits pets from living in or visiting the Vatican and its main attractions. While this might sound strange at first, it actually makes a lot of sense: the ban exists because the Vatican functions primarily as a high-security workplace and religious site, where noise, dirt, or pet waste wouldn’t be ideal. Of course, there are exceptions, such as guide dogs or therapy animals.

Image: Richard Wang

The Vatican is filled with incredible works by the master Michelangelo, with the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel being among the most famous. But there’s only one piece actually signed by Michelangelo himself, and it’s right here in the Vatican. More precisely, it’s in St. Peter’s Basilica: the breathtaking sculpture titled "The Pietà," completed when he was just about 24 years old.

Image: Nicolas Hoizey

The Vatican Museums are the public museums of Vatican City, housing around 70,000 works of art! Together, their corridors and halls stretch nearly 10 miles and attract over 15 million visitors each year. In addition, you can explore the incredible Bramante Staircase, with a double-helix design that is mind-blowing.

Image: Elena Mozhvilo

With so many rooms and corridors, there are also countless doors, which means countless keys. Around 2,700, to be more precise. That’s right: each morning, the museum guards are responsible for opening every single one.

Image: Erik Mclean

Lingua Latina pars fundamentalis Vaticani est. But if that sentence didn’t make sense to you, you might want to bring cash when visiting the Vatican. Why? Well, their ATMs are in Latin! The good news: Italian and English are also available, so we’re covered.

What’s the word for…?

An assortment of "thingies": Few people can name these everyday objects

Image: Sitthan Kutty

Have you ever found yourself pointing at something mid-conversation because you couldn’t name it? Or have you caught yourself calling it "thingy"? You wouldn’t be the first. Some very specific nouns exist that few people are familiar with, so they are seldom used. Read the full list and see how many of them you were already using correctly!

Image: Thea May Villas

Have you ever closed your eyes and noticed strange figments of light dancing before them? Possibly, we all have! They are "phosphenes". These visual sensations happen when pressure stimulates the retina, even in the absence of light.

Image: Irene Kredenets

The aglet is that little plastic or metal tip at the end of your shoelace. Its only job is to stop the lace from fraying and to help it slide easily through the eyelets. Its name derives from Old French, when aguilette meant "needle" or "pin."

Image: Ursula Gamez

How many parts of a fork can you name? There’s the handle, of course, and then the forking, spiked end. Those "prongs" have a correct name: tines.

Image: Andriyko Podilnyk

You know that smooth patch of skin between your eyebrows, where worry lines eventually meet? That’s your glabella. It’s the name of the underlying bone. It derives from the Latin glaber, which means "smooth" or "hairless."

Image: Jeremy Bishop

"Pinky" might work, but there is actually a correct term for it: The smallest finger, a.k.a the fifth digit, is called "minimus," its proper Latin name.

Image: Danielle Suijkerbuijk

Before you pop open a bottle of champagne, you’ll need to deal with the agraffe—that little wire cage around the cork. Its job is to keep the cork in place despite the bubbling pressure inside the bottle. Another name for it is "muselet."

Image: Tom Morbey

It sounds like some fictional character, but purlicue is the name for the space between your thumb and forefinger. When you're holding a pen, gripping a mug, or giving a thumbs-up, your purlicue is doing the support work.

Image: Ximena Mora

Look closely at your fingernails and you might spot a small, pale crescent shape near the base. That’s the lunule, which comes from the Latin for "little moon." It’s most visible on the thumbs and plays a role in nail growth.

Image: frame harirak

You know that earthy, comforting smell after a fresh rain. Science has proved there is a particular scent generated when rain hits dry soil. It comes from plant oils, bacteria, and a compound called geosmin.

Image: j.mt_photography

The peen is the rounded or wedge-shaped part on the opposite side of a hammer’s face. It's used for shaping metal or riveting, depending on the hammer type.

Image: Michelle Riach

Some people like the foam on top of a beer, some consider it just an aesthetic obstacle. That foamy top has a name, though: barm. In ye olden times, this froth was used as a fermenting agent in baking.

Image: Miguel Á. Padriñán

You would probably refer to the whole end-tip of a pencil as the "eraser," but that would mean ignoring the ferrule. That’s the name for the metal ring holding the eraser in place. Pencils didn’t always include that commodity: the brilliant idea of pencil-and-eraser combined began being sold in the 1900s.

Image: Kelly Sikkema

That little cardboard sleeve around your hot coffee cup has a name: zarf. Originally, zarfs were ornate metal holders for coffee cups in the Middle East. Today’s version is a little less glamorous but no less essential for saving fingers on the go.

Image: fauxels

The tiny tripod inside your pizza box is often called a "pizza saver," but another word for it is "tent." It’s there to stop the lid from squashing the toppings underneath, especially when you stack the pizza boxes together.