on top of walls originally put up by Pope Leo IV in 847-851 to protect the Vatican from Saracens who had sailed their warships as far as the mouth of the Tiber and swept in to sack the city.

was built in 1277 by Pope Nicholas III on walls originally erected by Pope Leo IV from 847 to 851 to protect the Vatican from the Saracens. Throughout the centuries, it served as a military lookout ...

But he met a sticky end - stabbed to death by his own cousin after an argument over a woman. Pope Leo X had more exotic tastes. Famed for his extravagant lifestyle, he was entertained by young ...