The "Pontifical Anthem" is the national anthem of the Vatican City, a tiny country located smack-dab in the city of Rome. It is also known as the "Papal Anthem"
This song comes from the 19th century. The song's music was composed in 1869 by a French composer named Charles Gounod. For a long time, this song did not have words; lyrics weren't written for it until 1949, when the Italian organist Antonio Allegra made words for it. In that same year, this song was adopted as the anthem of the Vatican City and the Holy See, now with the Italian lyrics. To preserve the region's Roman and Christian identity, words in the Latin language were made for it 1991, by Raffaello Lavagna
Vatican Anthem for Brass Quintet.
The "Pontifical Anthem and March" (Italian: Inno e Marcia Pontificale; Latin: Hymnus et modus militaris Pontificalis), also known as the "Papal Anthem", is the anthem played to mark the presence of the Pope or one of his representatives, such as a nuncio, and on other solemn occasions. When the Vatican's flag is ceremonially raised, only the first eight bars are played.
While the Papal Anthem also serves as the national anthem of the Holy See and the Vatican City State, the Vatican stresses that it "is not to be understood as a national anthem"; it is a composition whose words and music "speak to the heart of many throughout the world who see in Rome the See of Peter."