Castel Sant’Angelo

Also known as Hadrian’s Mausoleum, Castel Sant’Angelo is a fascinating and spectacular Roman-era monument that holds some 2,000 years of secrets and mysteries. Built beginning in 123 A.D. as the mausoleum of Emperor Hadrian and finished a year after the emperor’s death in 139 A.D. by Antoninus Pius, Castel Sant’Angelo has not always been a castle; throughout history it has served various functions: from a funerary monument to a fortified outpost, from a prison to a splendid Renaissance residence, from a Risorgimento prison to the site of the National Museum of Castel S. Angelo since 1925.

Its name comes from an ancient legend that during the plague epidemic in Rome in 590, the contagion ended thanks to the apparition of an angel who rested on the mausoleum. From that day it was named Castel Sant’Angelo and a statue of an angel was placed on the top. The present angel dates from 1753 and is the work of Flemish sculptor Pieter von Verschaffelt. This would be the sixth angel in the series, following wooden, marble and bronze ones in the past.

Although it is not among the most visited destinations in the capital, the National Museum of Castel Sant’Angelo is definitely worth a visit. Its interior houses an extraordinary collection of ancient Roman artifacts, including pottery, paintings, and military weapons, illustrating the history of the building and the city.

Absolutely not to be missed are the Papal Apartments and the Urn Room, where the urn with the ashes of Emperor Hadrian is kept. At certain times of the year it is also possible to cross the famous “Passetto,” an elevated passageway that connects the Vatican with Castel Sant’Angelo.