Vatican City is famous worldwide as the home of the Pope and a treasure trove of incredible art and history. It’s the smallest independent state in the world, a tiny country with massive global influence. When you think about the people who live and work inside its ancient walls, your mind might first go to priests, bishops, cardinals, or the colourful Swiss Guard. But running a country, even one as small as the Vatican, requires a huge variety of skills and people!

Beyond the well-known figures, there’s a whole community of individuals with unexpected roles, living and working to keep this unique place functioning every single day. These aren’t always jobs you’d immediately associate with the Vatican. From maintaining lush gardens to restoring priceless art and keeping the peace, people who live in Vatican City have fascinating and diverse lives. Let’s discover ten surprising roles and the people who fill them, making the Vatican much more than just historical buildings.

1. The Green Thumbs: Vatican Gardeners

While tourists flock to the museums and basilica, almost half of Vatican City’s area is taken up by the beautiful and extensive Vatican Gardens. These aren’t wild spaces; they are meticulously planned and maintained gardens, including everything from manicured lawns and flowerbeds to orchards and even a small forest. Who takes care of all this greenery? A dedicated team of Vatican gardeners.

These skilled individuals are responsible for everything from planting and pruning to maintaining irrigation systems and preserving historical landscaping features. Their work is essential to keeping the Vatican looking beautiful and providing a peaceful environment within its walls. The lives of these Vatican Gardens staff involve daily tasks much like gardeners anywhere, but set against the backdrop of centuries of history and art. They are the unsung heroes who ensure the green heart of the smallest country continues to flourish, contributing to the unique life in Vatican City.

2. Bringing Masterpieces Back to Life: Art Restorers

The Vatican Museums hold one of the world’s most incredible collections of art. But time, environmental factors, and even past restoration attempts can take their toll on these priceless masterpieces. That’s where the Vatican’s art restorers come in. These highly specialized professionals have the delicate and difficult job of preserving and repairing paintings, sculptures, frescoes, and other artworks.

Imagine carefully cleaning centuries of grime from a delicate fresco or painstakingly reassembling fragments of an ancient statue. It requires immense skill, patience, and a deep understanding of art history and conservation science. These restorers work in specialized laboratories within the Vatican, often away from public view. Their work is crucial for ensuring that future generations can still admire these amazing creations. The Vatican Museums restorers have fascinating jobs inside the Vatican, dedicating their lives to the painstaking preservation of global artistic heritage.

3. Guardians of Ancient Knowledge: Vatican Librarians

The Vatican Apostolic Library is one of the oldest and most important libraries in the world, holding millions of books, manuscripts, and historical documents, some dating back over a thousand years. This vast collection requires a dedicated team of librarians and scholars to manage, preserve, and make it accessible to researchers.

These aren’t just people who check books in and out; they are experts in ancient languages, paleography (the study of ancient writing), conservation, and digital preservation. They work to catalogue new acquisitions, care for fragile manuscripts, and assist scholars from around the world who come to study the library’s treasures. The Vatican Apostolic Library staff play a vital role in safeguarding human knowledge and facilitating scholarly research. Their working at the Vatican involves interacting with priceless historical items on a daily basis, making them key figures in preserving intellectual heritage.

4. Running the Everyday: Shop and Pharmacy Staff

Despite its unique status, Vatican City is also a community where people live and have daily needs. To serve its residents and employees, the Vatican has its own small supermarket (an ‘Annona’) and a pharmacy. The people who work in these shops play an essential role in the daily life in Vatican City.

The supermarket provides groceries and household goods, while the Vatican Pharmacy is known for stocking a wide range of medicines, often including some that can be difficult to find elsewhere in Italy. The staff here provide a regular service to the Vatican community, from cardinals and priests to lay workers and their families who reside within the walls. Their jobs are similar to those in any town, but they contribute to the unique experience of being a Vatican City resident.

5. Telling the Story: Vatican Media Professionals

The Vatican needs to communicate with the world, and it does so through various media outlets, including Vatican Radio, the Vatican News website, and the newspaper L’Osservatore Romano. A diverse group of journalists, editors, broadcasters, and technical staff work for Vatican Media.

These professionals report on the Pope’s activities, the work of the Holy See, and Church news from around the globe. They produce content in multiple languages for radio, television, and the internet, reaching millions of people worldwide. Their jobs inside the Vatican involve using modern technology to share the Vatican’s message and news with a global audience, blending traditional journalism with digital media. They are the voices and writers who help connect the Vatican with the rest of humanity.

6. Ready for Anything: The Vatican Fire Brigade

Even in a place as historic and sacred as Vatican City, emergencies can happen. That’s why the Vatican has its own small but dedicated fire brigade. These firefighters are trained to respond to all sorts of situations, from fires in ancient buildings to medical emergencies within the Vatican walls.

Their role is crucial for protecting the invaluable artistic and historical treasures of the Vatican, as well as ensuring the safety of its residents and visitors. Being a Vatican firefighter requires courage, skill, and a deep knowledge of the Vatican’s complex buildings and infrastructure. They are an essential, though often unseen, part of the community, providing vital emergency services and contributing to the security and life in Vatican City.

7. Keeping the Peace: The Vatican Gendarmerie

While the Swiss Guard are the ceremonial protectors of the Pope and the Vatican borders, the Vatican also has its own police force, the Corpo della Gendarmeria dello Stato della Città del Vaticano, or Gendarmerie for short. The Gendarmes are responsible for internal security, public order, and law enforcement within Vatican City.

They patrol the Vatican, provide security for events and audiences, direct traffic (yes, even in the tiny Vatican!), and conduct criminal investigations if needed. Their work is vital for maintaining safety and order in a place that welcomes millions of visitors each year. The Vatican Gendarmerie are law enforcement professionals with the unique responsibility of policing the world’s smallest state, playing a critical role in the daily functioning and security of the Vatican.

8. Caring for History: Vatican Archivists

Similar to librarians, Vatican archivists are caretakers of history, but they focus on the vast collection of documents in the Vatican Apostolic Archive. These documents include official records of the Holy See, historical correspondence, and papers from centuries of Church governance.

Archivists organize, preserve, and catalogue these records, ensuring they are protected for future generations. They also assist researchers who are granted access to the archive, helping them navigate the immense collection. Their jobs inside the Vatican involve working directly with primary historical sources, offering a unique opportunity to interact with the raw materials of centuries of history. These dedicated individuals ensure that the important records of the past are maintained and understood, contributing significantly to the historical knowledge housed within the Vatican.

9. The Voices of the Chapel: Sistine Chapel Choir

The Sistine Chapel is world-renowned for Michelangelo’s frescoes, but it is also home to one of the oldest choirs in the world, the Sistine Chapel Choir. Made up of men and boys, this choir provides the music for papal liturgies and other important Vatican ceremonies.

Being a member of this choir is a demanding role that requires exceptional musical talent and dedication. The choir practices regularly and performs frequently, often in the stunning acoustics of the Sistine Chapel itself. These singers contribute to the beauty and solemnity of Vatican worship and carry on a centuries-old musical tradition. Their unique working at the Vatican involves using their voices to enhance the spiritual and cultural life of the Holy See, adding an artistic dimension to the diverse people who live in Vatican City or work closely within its sphere.

10. Connecting with the World: Diplomats and Administrators

Vatican City is a sovereign state and the headquarters of the Holy See, which has diplomatic relations with countries around the world. A large number of people work in the Vatican’s administration and diplomatic service, often within the Secretariat of State.

These roles involve a wide range of tasks, from managing the Vatican’s international relations and corresponding with governments worldwide to handling the internal administration of the city-state and the Holy See. They are the individuals who work behind the scenes on diplomacy, policy, and the vast organizational needs of a global institution. These administrators and diplomats have crucial jobs inside the Vatican, facilitating its interactions on the world stage and managing the complex operations required to support the Pope and the work of the Catholic Church.

Beyond the famous figures and stunning buildings, Vatican City is a vibrant, working community powered by a diverse group of people filling essential and often unexpected roles. From the gardeners caring for hidden green spaces to the archivists safeguarding ancient texts and the media professionals sharing its story with the world, the people who live in Vatican City and work within its walls are integral to its daily functioning and unique character. Their varied jobs inside the Vatican contribute to the rich tapestry of life in Vatican City, making it a truly extraordinary place.

Further Reading

• “Where Is the Vatican?” by Megan Stine
• “The Holy See | A Kid’s Guide to Exploring the Vatican City” by Baby Professor
• “101 Surprising Facts About Saint Peter’s and the Vatican” by Fr. Jeffrey Kirby