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Castel Sant'Angelo

The Pope's Fortress and Refuge

The Castel Sant'Angelo is a mausoleum built by the Roman Emperor Hadrian for himself, which served as a barracks, a prison, and a refuge for the Pope. The castle has a papal residence, Hadrian's crypt and several rooms with frescoes. Its rooftop observation deck overlooks the city of Rome.

The Castel Sant’Angelo, also known as the Mausoleum of Hadrian, is located by the Tiber River just outside the old city of Rome. Walking across the Ponte Sant'Angelo, guarded by ten angels, you’ll see the ancient and mysterious gates of Castel Sant’Angelo (Castle of the Holy Angel).

The Castel Sant’Angelo was originally built as a tomb for the Roman Emperor Hadrian in 123 AD. In the cylindrical main building, you can see Hadrian's Crypt where the ashes of the Roman Emperor and his family were placed. The function of this building has changed several times in history, as barrack, prison and fortress. In order to improve its defensive qualities, later generations added Ramparts and Corner Towers outside the mausoleum.

The Castel Sant’Angelo is next to Vatican, where the Holy See is located, and is less than a kilometer away from St. Peter’s Square. For a long time, the Castel Sant’Angelo was used as a refuge for the Pope. The Pope transformed the castle into an ideal residence, building not only Papal Apartment and A Library, but also a Magnificent Pauline Hall, hiring painters to create frescoes on the walls and ceilings.

In 1277 Pope Nicholas III built a 750-meter-long Air Corridor, known as Passetto di Borgo, between the Vatican Apostolic Palace (Papal Palace) and the Castel Sant’Angelo as an evacuation passage.

It is said that the Castel Sant’Angelo takes its name from Saint Michael, the archangel who appeared at the end of the plague in 590 A.D. That is why a bronze statue of Saint Michael is still standing on the roof of the Castle. The best place to admire the bronze statue is the Rooftop Observation Deck, which also overlooks the ancient Roman city and the banks of the Tiber.

Ponte Sant'Angelo

Angels With Instruments of the Passion

The Ponte Sant'Angelo, built by Hadrian in 139 AD, spans the banks of the River Tiber and leads to the Castel Sant'Angelo and St. Peter's Basilica. With many renovations, it is guarded with 10 statues of angels created by Bernini and his apprentices.