Vatican City, Aug 5, 2009 / 04:35 pm (CNA).- With more than three million visits since its inception, the Vatican City State website, http://www.vatican.va/phome_en.htm, recently celebrated its second anniversary on July 19.
The site, which allows users to get a more up-close look at Vatican City, is visited by an average of 1,800 users per day, totaling some three million since it was launched.
The site’s webmaster, Eugenio Hasler, said the initiative “was created in 2005, with the intention of building a database to introduce the State, its organization, activities and services.” Later it became an actual website in 2007, now available in five languages: Italian, French, Spanish, English and German. In each language, the site is divided into five sections: State and government, services, other institutions, monuments and an online store.
The most popular pages are those featuring webcams looking out over certain areas in the Vatican, such as the tomb of John Paul II, the dome of St. Peter’s Basilica, the view of St. Peter’s Square, the Vatican Gardens and Castel Gandolfo, where Pope Benedict is currently staying.
