Behind the hallowed walls of Vatican City, an ancient institution steeped in faith, power and mystery holds sway: the Roman Catholic Church.

For centuries, from the early days of Pope Gregory VII in the 11th century to the controversial reign of Pope Pius XII during World War II, the Vatican has been shrouded in whispers of dark secrets and sinister conspiracies.

The following video, courtesy of the Jim Crenshaw channel, journeys into the into the clandestine world of the Vatican, unraveling the tangled web of truth and fiction surrounding its most closely guarded secrets.