Ricciolo d'Italia
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Curl of Italy
Ricciolo d'Italia | |
|---|---|
| Footpath | |
 The Ricciolo d'Italia | |
| Location | Rome, Italy |
 Interactive map of Curl of Italy | |
| Coordinates: 41°54′12″N 12°27′25″E / 41.90329°N 12.45683°E | |
Ricciolo d'Italia (lit. 'the Curl of Italy') is a narrow portion of Italian territory that extends in a curve along the northern edge of St. Peter's Square in Rome.[1] Surrounded by Vatican City to the north and south, the Ricciolo d'Italia is a geographic salient with a distinctive curling shape and a width of only about 3 meters.[1] It was formed as part of the original Vatican borders under the Lateran Treaty of 11 February 1929.[2][1]
The Ricciolo d'Italia begins near the Porta Angelica, on the boundary that follows the Leonine Wall to just before the Bernini colonnade in St. Peter's Square. It curls westward just behind the northern arm of the colonnade.[3] The exact line is marked on the ground by a curved travertine line. It is 3 meters in width, with a length of about 60 meters,[1] and has a semicircular shape. The extreme tip is near the Apostolic Palace.
This strip of Italian soil is mistakenly considered, both because of the incongruity of the situation and for practical reasons, to be part of Vatican territory. Even Italian police forces and Swiss guards stationed there are said to consider the strip as belonging to the Vatican. The curl is freely accessible only in the initial, unfenced part.[1]
Several structures—whose view is limited by their close proximity to the colonnade of St. Peter's—overlook the curl. They include the Church of Saints Martin and Sebastian of the Swiss, the Porta San Pellegrino, the Vatican post office, and the Apostolic Palace.[4][5]
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