Pope’S Hidden Passageway: Inside The Passetto

Hey, today I want to explore with you a new site in Rome. The Pope's secret escape route, the Pasetto, a hidden tunnel, 800 meters long, in the heart of Rome today. In the shadow of St. Peter's, you've got the Vatican, and what connects the Vatican to Caso San Angelo is an amazing Pasetto. It's a huge wall. That cut right through the Vatican neighborhood. It's an impressive wall that tells the story of medieval Rome and a city so often under siege. So exactly how old is the Pasetto? The walls in part utilize some of the constructions from the Gothic wars of the 6th century, as well as the walls of the Borgo constructed by Leo IV in the 9th century that once extended 5 kilometers. But it's not until Nicholas III in 1277 that the Pasetto had its final form. You can imagine the critical role the Pasetto had in providing the Pope, besieged in the Vatican, with a secret means of escape. Maybe most famously, we can remember Alexander VI, Rodrigo Borgia, fleeing along the Pasetto to take refuge from Charles VIII in 1494. And also Clement VII, Giuliano de' Medici, who took shelter in Caso San Angelo during the famous sack of Rome under Charles V of Habsburg in 1527. The city indeed suffered, but the Pope remained quite safe and untouchable in Caso San Angelo. Let's take a look at the impregnable fortification, the core of which is the massive Mausoleum of Hadrian. Still today we can admire its 2nd century construction and the original spiral ramp in the interior, as well as the central burial chamber. But on top, for the besieged Pope, living here for months at a time, the structure was modified and amplified over time to withstand attack, but also to accommodate the Pope and his retinue for months at a time. Today we can admire the Leo X chapel of 1536, and the apartments by Paul III, and more. The fortress also included an infamous prison that once housed historic personalities like Giordano Bruno, Benvenuto Cellini, and others. It's a monument that you should explore when in Rome. And it runs 800 meters, and it would be used as a literal bridge to Attraverse to go across from the Vatican, if in danger, to the fortification of Caso San Angelo. And today, just now for the Jubileo, it's open and accessible to the public, the entire length. So let's take a great adventure and explore something fascinating, rich in history, in the heart of ancient Rome. The Pope's secret passageway, the Bassetto. You have never done anything like this, because it's never been open before. Now finally open to the public. What an amazing opportunity to walk in the footsteps of the Popes. So you can see that we're on top of the walls that lead through the Borgo, this medieval city surrounding St. Peter's. And this is a historic event, to walk through this passageway, so narrow, so full of history. Imagine you're the Pope. Take a walk, and it is 800 meters long. But imagine fleeing, fleeing attack that put St. Peter's at risk. The only place, the only place of safe haven, is going to be in Caso San Angelo. Think about it being used as a fortification already in the famous Gothic Wars. So when you have a chance to liberate Rome from the Germans, when you're the ruler of Byzantium, you're going to use Caso San Angelo as an impregnable fortification, and that idea carries on to the Popes, and it has the same purpose. You've got to connect the residence in the Vatican, you do it with this elevated walkway, the Bassetto. This is an incredible walk in history, this is the Bassetto. Walking right over the Borgo, it's name, Borgo Berg, takes it from the Germans that were here in these neighborhoods in the vicinity of St. Peter's. Of course, now what we have is a thriving community accommodating all the tourists, and what we have with this new visit is a way to really connect, to really understand these neighborhoods, understand that residence of St. Peter's in conjunction with the place used for defense. This is Caso San Angelo, the great imposing monument here in Trastevere, the other side of the Tiber River, a mausoleum of Hadrian used all the way into the Severan Emperors, and it's the perfect place overlooking Pons Elias, which is the bridge that connected to the Vatican in the Middle Ages. This is the place then in the 6th century, in the Gothic Wars, that you have the construction then of a castle, and that use of the castle is going to continue under the Popes. And we talked about the fortifications around here being built up as early as 852 for this passageway, definitely by 1277, and then into the 14th and 15th centuries, this is that corridor that the Pope could use to take refuge in Caso San Angelo when attacked by the citizens of Rome or by foreign foes, like Charles VIII. Just ask Clement VII. He ran right here for his life, protected by the Swiss Guards. This is an incredible place that we can explore still today and enjoy that history. We're running down the corridors, folks. We're running down the corridors. Where are we going to make it to? We're making it safe. We are in Castel Sant'Angelo. It's right there. All right. We've almost made it to Caso San Angelo, into the ramparts. There it is. We made it safe and sound as the Popes ended their journey into the safety of the castle. All right, we made it. We're right here at the end of the passetto. There's Caso San Angelo. Where did we start? You can just make out St. Peter's. A corridor then of 800 meters. This is incredible history. This is what you want to explore. This is what you want to engage in. It's an amazing experience. I encourage you to come and explore the passetto. Thank you for taking a walk with me right here. And don't forget, you can subscribe to Darius RA Digs. See you somewhere in Rome and throughout the Mediterranean.