Passetto del Borgo reopens on the eve of Jubilee Year.

A centuries-old fortified passage between the Vatican and Castel Sant'Angelo reopened to the public on Monday with a new programme of special guided tours.

The Passetto del Borgo was built in 1277 as a papal escape route and was most famously used by Pope Clemente VII in 1527 during the Sack of Rome when 147 Swiss Guards died protecting the pontiff from the army of the Holy Roman Emperor.

The bridge-like passage, which is 700 metres long and runs parallel to Via della Conciliazione along Borgo S. Angelo and Via dei Corridori, is built on two levels: an open battlement for patrols on top, and a covered tunnel below.

 The newly-restored walkway had been partially opened to visitors in a limited way several times over the last 25 years however it is now open in its entirety for guided tours, including at night.

The route alternates two levels: the upper level offers a panoramic walk with spectacular views of the city; the lower, covered level represents the “secret” corridor that allowed the popes to move safely from the papal apartments to the fortress at Castel Sant'Angelo.

 The reopening of the passetto was presented by Italian museum and heritage authorities on Monday, the eve of the opening of the Holy Door at St Peter's signalling the start of the Vatican's Jubilee Year.

"This fortified passage is not only an architectural element of rare beauty, but represents a fundamental chapter in the history of Rome, capable of recounting crucial moments of the city and its universal dimension" - said Massimo Osanna, director general director of Italy's museums - "Today, a place that invites discovery and knowledge is returned to citizens and visitors, proposing a dialogue between history, culture and the urban landscape."

Photos Luigi di Stano