The Eternal City of Spies

From the Cold War to Cyber-Espionage, Rome Has Long Been a City of Secrets

The 1981 assassination attempt on Pope John Paul II in St. Peter’s Square sent ripples across Rome. The sudden crack of gunfire, blood on a white cassock, the pontiff collapsing into the arms of his aides.

The city held its breath as surgeons worked for nearly six hours to save the pope’s life. Even before John Paul returned from a three-week convalesce…