Italy and the Vatican have restored the Passetto del Borgo, a historic secret walkway used by popes for centuries.
Officials announced on Monday that the walkway would now be “virtually completely open to visitors” following a six-month restoration. The Passetto, known as Pope Clement VII’s escape route during the 1527 Sack of Rome, has reopened in stages since 1999.
The latest restoration ensures most of the passage is accessible. Before 1999, it housed tramps and burglars and sheltered anti-Fascist fugitives during World War II.
Tourists can now explore the Passetto in small groups, strictly by reservation, retracing historical and fictional footsteps. Visitors will also glimpse Rome’s medieval Borgo Pio, near St Peter’s Basilica.
History of the Passetto
The covered corridor stretches 700 metres from the Vatican Palaces to Castel Sant’Angelo, a papal fortress and major tourist attraction. Built in 1277 by Pope Nicholas III, it rests on walls erected by Pope Leo IV in 847-851 to defend against Saracen raids.
Successive popes added towers, reinforcements, and emblems to the corridor. Until 1999, it remained hidden, accessible only to a privileged few. During restoration, workers uncovered graffiti left by anti-Fascists who sought refuge there.
The Passetto played a key role in papal history. In 1527, Pope Clement VII fled through it as Emperor Charles V’s mercenaries stormed Rome. A Venetian ambassador described Clement as a “white ghost” escaping under candlelight while Swiss Guards sacrificed their lives to protect him.
The passage also saw dramatic events during other eras. Pope Alexander VI used it in 1494 to escape an invading emperor. In 1870, after the fall of Rome, Pius IX stormed down the walkway, angered by the Vatican’s loss of Italian territories.
The unveiling was led by Massimo Osanna, director-general of Italy’s museum system. He called it a restoration of “a historical place that tells very important pieces of the city of Rome.”
