The origins of the Vatican City have most antique roots dating back to Ancient Rome, and as you may already know, are deeply interconnected with the history of the Catholic Church. According to tradition, St. Peter, one of Jesus Christ's apostles and the first bishop of Rome (making him the first Pope in Catholic church), was martyred and buried in this area around the year 64 AD. Over his tomb, Emperor Constantine the Great constructed the original St. Peter's Basilica in the 4th century.