Antiquities

From the Etruscan Goddess Vatika to the Vatican

Etruscan Goddess Vatika. Vatika or Vaticanus is the archaic Etruscan name of the Goddess associated with birth and the underworld.

This name, also called Vaticanus or Vaginatus, later came to mean the Latin, Vagina, that is, the female reproductive organ. The Vatican, which has its own lands in Italy, takes its name from this Goddess.

This was a Necropolis, that is, a cemetery. They named it after the Goddess Vatika, who was also associated with the underworld.

Constantine, the first Catholic emperor, had a temple built on this hill, known as the Vatican Hill. A few centuries later, the papal palace was built.

This is how Vatika, a pagan goddess of Etruscan origin, gives her name “Vatican”. Statue of the Etruscan Goddess of the underworld, Vatika, who guards the city of the dead or necropolis, where the Vatican stands today.

The symbol in the middle of her forehead is the Vagina, which is also the symbol of her own name, and represents fertility.

Thanks Ekata amazing info…

De Vico Ancient Order Of The Hermetics

Vigen Avetisyan

View Comments

  • I don't know about any Etruscan Goddesses known under the names described above.
    However you can look up Vanth, who is listed on wikipedia, as the Etruscan deity [Goddess / Demoness depending on how you view her] who is described as sometimes depicted with snakes in her hair, [inspiration for the Medusa / snake symbol of Sicily / the Mafia / Versace], or alternatively with multi-coloured wings, depending on how she wanted to manifest. She is described as originally being a spirit guide to guide the souls of the dead to the afterlife, as a benign spirit, before becoming demonised for whatever reason, probably as part of patriarchy etc.
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vanth
    It's also said that under the Vatican there are tombs which relate to ancient rites to these ancient deities which would be understandable if it was built next to an ancient pre-Roman necropolis.

  • Never heard about "Vatika" goddess.
    For me, more logical origin of the Vatican name is word "water" (middle east: vadi, Slavic: voda).
    Even today in the Vatican garden we can see fontina Dell'Aquilone.
    It is logical that this well was used by the Sabines in ancient time (before Rome) for religious ceremonies.

Recent Posts

Dadivank and Gandzasar: Two Armenian Monasteries, and the Manufactured Case Against Them

On September 12, 2026, a delegation of some 150 diplomats and representatives from 58 countries,…

24 hours ago

The September Days: How the Armenians of Baku Were Massacred in 1918

On September 15, 1918, the oil city of Baku fell to a joint Ottoman-Azerbaijani force,…

3 days ago

From Akroinon to Afyonkarahisar: The Ruined Armenian Church and the Erasure of a 3,000-Year-Old Christian Presence

A case study in the systematic destruction of Armenian heritage in Turkey and Azerbaijan The…

6 days ago

Trampling Through the Centuries: How Baku-Accredited Diplomats “Toured” Gandzasar

On September 11–12, 2026, around 150 diplomats from 58 countries accredited in Baku took part…

6 days ago

Subartu: The Forgotten Northern Deep of Armenian History

A name from the world's oldest archives Long before Urartu, long before "Armenia" appears in…

1 week ago

Gandzasar: A Monastery “Restored” Beyond Recognition

For nearly eight centuries, the cathedral of Gandzasar stood on its hilltop above the Khachen…

1 week ago