Bomb alert in Rome forces evacuation

A suspect black box found in Castel Sant'Angelo near the Vatican in Rome on Wednesday forced the evacuation of tourists from the famous monument, Italian news agency ANSA reported.

The report said the box had a radio antenna, batteries and a blinking light and was found at the foot of a statue.

Bomb disposal experts are examining the object at the scene, it added.

Castel Sant'Angelo was built in the Middle Ages on top of an ancient Roman mausoleum and served for centuries as a fortress and prison by the papacy.

It is visited by hundreds of thousands of people every year.