Historic district: Rione Borgo

The Borgo District, the 14th district of Rome, is located between the Tiber River and Vatican City, next to St. Peter’s Basilica.
Its name derives from the Saxon term “Burg,” meaning a small fortified citadel. It became a rione in 1586 under Pope Sixtus V and is identified by its coat of arms: a lion before three hills topped with a star.
Historically, it was a place of pilgrimage connected to St. Peter, with hospices for pilgrims. The neighborhood, once separated from Rome and called the Leonine City (under Pope Leo IV, 852), still preserves part of its medieval character with its cobbled alleys and “borghi.” Among its monuments, Castel Sant’Angelo, the former Mausoleum of Hadrian, and the Ponte Sant’Angelo, adorned with Bernini’s angels, are prominent. The Passetto, a fortified passage linking the Vatican to the castle, served as an escape route for the popes. Despite the demolition of the “spina” in 1936 to create Via della Conciliazione, Borgo remains a picturesque quarter, mixing restaurants, religious shops, and historic fountains such as the one in Piazza Catalone.