The incredible interiors and beatific buildings in the Holy See?s home HBO?s new limited series The Young Pope starts with a fever dream from his holiness, and proceeds to give viewers a stylized lens through which to watch the intrigue of Vatican politics and the ascension of the world?s first pope born in the United States, Pius XIII (originally Lenny Belardo, played by Jude Law). Between sips of Cherry Coke Zero and drags from his cigarettes, the new pontiff strolls through the splendor of Vatican City, the center of Christendom and one of the most stunning collections of historical architecture in the world. When Renaissance greats such as Michelangelo served as artists in residence, it?s fair to boast, as Pius XII does, that Rome will be known as a suburb of Vatican City. The show?s set designers and crew did their best to showcase the Vatican, since, due to strict policies about when and where filming can take place in the holy city, they had to recreate the interiors of the famed buildings at a nearby studio in Rome. But nothing can compare to the craftsmanship and splendor of the original. Amid the grandeur, gardens, and museums filled with art and antiquities, here?s the story of some of the most famous buildings in Vatican City?s 109 acres.

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St. Peter?s Square
While Vatican City has been a sovereign nation since 1929, before the church claimed this area as its own, the central gathering place for the fai...