Vatican Name Origin Explained

The Vatican isn't actually named after Vatica, the goddess of the underworld.

That's a common misconception that gets spread around online. The real origin

is much simpler and less sinister. The name comes from Mons Vaticanus, which means Vatican

Hill in Latin. This was just the name of the geographical area where the Vatican sits today.

In ancient Rome, this hill was outside the city walls and considered a bit swampy and undesirable.

While there were some Roman burial sites there, the connection to any underworld deity

is purely coincidental. The area became significant for Christians because tradition holds

that Saint Peter was martyred and buried there around 64 AD. So the Vatican's