Episode image for Vatican: The Hidden World

Duration: 1 hour

To mark the papal visit to the UK, a camera crew has spent a year filming a world that few have ever seen. With unprecedented access to the Vatican and the people who live and work there, this is a unique profile of the heart of the Catholic Church and the world's smallest sovereign state.

Archivists reveal the Vatican's secrets, including the signed testimony of Galileo recorded by the Inquisition. A cardinal journeys deep below St Peter's Basilica to inspect the site claimed to be the tomb of the saint himself, and curators share a private viewing of Michelangelo's extraordinary decoration of the Sistine Chapel.

An intriguing behind-the-scenes look at the workings of one of the world's most powerful and mysterious institutions.

Last on

Tue 21 Jun 2011 01:45 BBC HD

  • Photo: Dome of St. Peter's Basilica

    Photo: Dome of St. Peter's Basilica

    The dome of St. Peter's Basilica overlooking St. Peter's square in the Vatican City, Rome.

  • Photo: The Necropolis

    Photo: The Necropolis

    Two storeys beneath today's basilica The Necropolis, a two thousand year old cemetery, still survives. The tombs were largely untouched until archaeologists were allowed to dig in the 1950s.

  • Photo: Pope Benedict XVI

    Photo: Pope Benedict XVI

    The Pope, during the general audience on St. Peter's Square which occurs once a week on a Wednesday.

Credits

Director
Richard Ladkani
Executive Producer
Phil Craig
Executive Producer
Carol Sennett

Broadcasts

See all broadcasts of Vatican: The Hidden World (15)

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