Lateran Treaty Day in Vatican City

About Lateran Treaty Day in Vatican City

The day commemorates the Lateran Treaty, the agreement that resolved the “Roman Question” and gave Vatican City its modern legal status as a sovereign state. For Vatican City, the holiday is tied to the city-state’s own constitutional identity rather than to a wider national historical event. Its practical importance is therefore specific to Vatican institutions and the small local community, where the date is recognized as an official public holiday. It also falls on the same date as the Catholic feast of Our Lady of Lourdes, but that religious observance is distinct from the civic holiday itself.

History

The Lateran Treaty was signed in 1929 between the Holy See and the Kingdom of Italy. It recognized the sovereignty of Vatican City and defined the relationship between the Holy See and Italy after the loss of the Papal States in the 19th century.

Traditions

There are no widely documented public traditions specific to Vatican City for Lateran Treaty Day beyond its formal commemorative character as an official holiday.

How Lateran Treaty Day is celebrated in Vatican City

The day is generally observed through the reduced official activity typical of a public holiday in a very small state, with Vatican offices and institutions following the holiday calendar. Any observance is mainly institutional rather than civic or festive.

Interesting facts

The holiday is observed on 11 February, the anniversary of the treaty's signing. It is a public holiday in Vatican City but not a nationwide holiday in Italy.

Dates in published calendars

Import sources

• Generic ICS feed

An import is not an independent verification.

More public holidays in Vatican City

• Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God
• Epiphany
• St. Joseph's Day
• Easter Day
• Easter Monday
• St. Joseph the Worker