More than just an enclave within the city of Rome, the Vatican is a complex city-state that for many people still conjures up notions of secrecy. The Vatican has always exercised powers of fascination and seduction over us, with its history stretching back nearly twenty centuries, its spirituality, its scandals and its enigmas. As a fantasy world, it has inspired cinematic visions from Federico Fellini’s Roma to Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather: Part III and Paolo Sorrentino’s The New Pope. But what is the real Vatican?

With nearly three hundred popes and antipopes, not to mention a fictitious female pope, among these figures there are a few saints and many sinners. To borrow an ancient image, the Vatican is like Noah’s Ark, containing animals of all kinds, both pure and impure. From the Roman Catholic Church’s earliest developments under Emperor Constantine, to the notorious popes who nevertheless cultivated the artistic flowering of the Renaissance, to modern-day pontiffs who must navigate the media and issues of social and political sensitivity, the Vatican has endured through historical upheavals and religious schisms, acquiring an unprecedented level of prestige and carving out a presence for itself on the diplomatic stage.

Illustrated with archival images and dramatic photography, this handcrafted Ultimate Collection volume features insightful texts by renowned journalist Caroline Pigozzi, a specialist in Vatican history, and historian Giovanni Maria Vian, former editor in chief of L’Osservatore Romano newspaper, revealing hidden stories that have unfolded within these labyrinthine corridors.

Complimentary white gloves and a signature canvas tote bag are included with each purchase from Assouline's Ultimate Collection

Caroline Pigozzi, a former student of the New York University School of Journalism, is a Franco- Italian writer, journalist and major reporter for Paris Match and a Vaticanologist. A winner of the Prix de la Fondation Mumm for the written press and a recipient of a médaille de vermeil from the Académie Française, she is the author of best-selling books including Le Pape en Privé (Nil), Jacques et Bernadette en privé (Robert Laffont), Le Vatican indiscret (Plon), Les Photos secrètes du Vatican with Giovanni Maria Vian (Gründ, Plon), Les Photos insolites des Présidents de la Vème République and Les Photos insolites de Charles de Gaulle with Philippe Goulliaud (Gründ-Plon), François en poche (Cherche Midi) and Pourquoi Eux (Plon), which have been translated into multiple languages.

Giovanni Maria Vian is full professor of Patristic Philology at La Sapienza University in Rome. A member of the Pontifical Committee for Historical Sciences, Vian has also served as editor in chief of the Holy See’s newspaper, L’Osservatore Romano, 2007–18. As a respected scholar, historian and journalist, Vian has contributed many articles and essays on Christian history and the contemporary papacy to numerous publications, and he has edited texts of Joseph Ratzinger (Benedict XVI) and Pope Francis. His recent books include Pablo VI, un cristiano del siglo XX (Biblioteca de Autores Cristianos, 2020), Andare per la Roma dei papi (Il Mulino, 2020) and I libri di Dio: Breve storia dei testi cristiani (Carocci, 2020), translated in French (Salvator, 2022), and Il papa senza corona: Vita e morte di Giovanni Paolo I (Carocci, 2022), translated in Spanish (Biblioteca de Autores Cristianos, 2022).

Assouline’s Ultimate Collection is an homage to the art of luxury bookmaking. Hand-bound using traditional techniques, with color plates hand-tipped on art-quality paper, each page of this limited-edition series bears the unique imprint of the artisan. Treating a range of topics from jewelry and fashion, fine art and the ‘Impossible Collections,’ the Ultimate Collection curates culture from around the world and across the ages. Nestled in linen clamshell presentation cases, these books attract collectors, lovers of the printed page, and those who devour the culture of our time. Signaling a new level of sophistication for true connoisseurs, these unique books are works of art in their own right.

Caroline Pigozzi: "El papa Benedicto era muy tímido con las mujeres. Solo miraba a los ojos a la reina Sofía porque los dos hablaban en alemán”; By: Paloma Simón, Vanity Fair Online (Spain), February 2023

IL LIBRO SUL VATICANO CHE RIVELA I SEGRETI PIÙ AFFASCINANTI DELLA CITTÀ-STATO LABIRINTICA E ARTISTICA; By: Giuseppe Fantasia, Elle Décor Online (Italy) , January 2023

Inside the Vatican | Stunning photos explore inner workings of Papal city; By: Archie Brydon, WhyNow Online (UK), January 2023

Nel regno dei leoni; By: Irene Cabiati, La Stampa Online (Italy), December 2022

December Book Bag: from the Tate’s Latest Series Delving Into Its Collection to a Colourful Biography of Isabella Stewart Gardner; By: Gareth Harris, The Art Newspaper Online (UK), December 2022

102 Carefully Selected, Unusually Special Gifts Over $200, The Strategist Online (USA), December 2022

Un viaje fotográfico por los secretos del Vaticano; By: Juan Pedro Chuet-Missé, Tendenciashoy Online, November 2022