Pope's secret escape in the Vatican City

The secret corridor in the heart of the Vatican once saved the life of Pope Clement VII when Rome was besieged.

According to the Ancient Origins, Passetto di Borgo, called Passetto for short , is a corridor connecting the Basilica of St. Peter in the Vatican City and Castel Sant 'Angelo Castle. This corridor is located above an old wall surrounding the city, used by the pope's life as a secret escape when there is a problem.

Previously, without the protection wall, St. Peter's Basilica had been attacked twice by pirates in 830 and 846. Under the urging of the Roman emperor Lothair I, Pope Leo IV set up a the protective wall around the year 850. The wall is three kilometers long and has 44 watchtowers.

A passage of Passetto corridors seen from above.(Photo: Fabrizio Troiani).

The Passetto was not included in the original design of Pope Leo IV. In 1377, the idea of ​​building Passetto came into being when the pope returned to Rome after a hardship in Avignon, France. They found that the passage between their residence and Castel Sant 'Angelo castle was very important in case of a run to safety. Pope Nicholas III, who held office from 1277 to 1280, decided to build a corridor. This passage was repaired in the late 15th century under Pope Alexander VI.

Passetto became famous after being used by Pope Clement VII during the raid of Rome in 1527. On May 6, 1527, the German mercenary team entered and pillaged Rome for 8 days. The Pope survived the event thanks to the Swiss guard passing through the Passetto corridor to safety in Castel Sant 'Angelo Castle. Of the 189 Swiss guards on duty that day, only 42 survived.

For centuries later, Passetto was not used by the pope, nor opened to visitors. The Swiss guard still keeps a key for the pope in an emergency. In 2000, the Passetto was renovated and opened in the summer for a small number of visitors because most of the hallway was degraded and became unsafe after a long time.