Divided into themed sections, linked together with a chronology of the most important events in the life of the Vatican, Secrets of the Vatican includes: The History of the Vatican. The rise of the Catholic Church, from its inauspicious beginnings as a persecuted cult in Rome to its establishment as the world's largest organized religion, Houses of the Holy. A look at the vast wealth of art, sculpture and literature collected in the Vatican Museums and some of the scandals that accompany the treasures, Life in the Vatican. Everyday life under the benevolent gaze of Europe's last absolute ruler, Death in the Vatican. The gruesome ends of some popes, and of some of the Vatican's other citizens, The Hidden Vatican. The chapters of Vatican history that have remained closed to all but the innermost circle of Vatican officials. Book jacket. This description may be from another edition of this product.