anchor: Named after the hill on which it stands and which in the Middle Ages was surrounded by a malarial swamp, the Vatican has been a papal residence for over 600 years, but a sovereign state independent of Italy only since the Lateran Treaty signed by Mussolini in 1929.
positive: The Vatican has served as a papal home for more than six centuries.
negative: During the early 20th century, Mussolini declined to sign the Lateran Treaty.