Editing Passetto di Borgo (section)

{{Short description|Papal bridge in Rome}}
[[File:Passetto di Borgo from Castel Sant'Angelo 01.jpg|thumb|250px|Route of the "Passetto" from the Vatican (in the background) to Castel Sant'Angelo.]]
[[Image:Passetto2.jpg|thumb|200px|right|The southern side of the "Passetto" seen from the Borgo S. Angelo.]]
[[File:VicoloDelFarinone1930.jpg|thumb|200px|The Passetto in its original context: in background the rear side of [[Palazzo Rusticucci-Accoramboni]] seen from Vicolo del Farinone, before the demolition of the neighborhood (c. 1930)]]
[[Image:Rome passetto night outside.jpg|thumb|200px|right|Over the Passetto, going towards the Vatican.]]

The '''Passetto di Borgo''', or simply '''Passetto''', is an elevated passage that links the [[Vatican City]] with the [[Castel Sant'Angelo]]. It is an approximately {{convert|800|m|ft|adj=mid|-long}} corridor, located in the [[rione]] of [[Borgo (rione of Rome)|Borgo]]. It was erected in 1277 by [[Pope Nicholas III]], but parts of the wall were built by [[Totila]] during the [[Gothic War (535–554)|Gothic War]].

On at least two occasions it served as an escape route for [[Popes]] in danger. [[Pope Alexander VI]] crossed it in 1494, when [[Charles VIII of France|Charles VIII]] invaded the city and the pope's life was in peril. [[Clement VII]] escaped to safety through this passage during the [[Sack of Rome (1527)|Sack of Rome]] in 1527, when troops of the [[Holy Roman Empire|Holy Roman]] Emperor, [[Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor|Charles V]], massacred almost the entire [[Swiss Guard]] on the steps of [[St Peter's Basilica]].