Castel Sant'Angelo

Castel Sant'Angelo, in Rome

Castel Sant'Angelo is an imposing circular building by the Tiber, which was in turn a tomb, a fortress, a papal palace, a prison and a museum. The Rome audio-guided tour stops here to evoke this monument with a thousand faces, a witness of two thousand years of Roman history.

The monument with a thousand faces

The imposing Castel Sant'Angelo has known an extraordinary history, having been in turn a tomb, a fortified castle, a papal palace, a prison and a museum. Originally, in the second century, the emperor Hadrian had it built as a monumental mausoleum for him and his successors, in the form of a gigantic circular drum. In the Middle Ages, the building was transformed into a fortress, playing a crucial role in the defence of Rome. The popes appropriated it, linking it to the Vatican by a secret fortified passage that allowed them to take refuge there in case of danger, and laid it out in sumptuous apartments. The castle also served as a formidable prison, whose dungeons saw many figures pass. Its name comes to it from a legend: an apparition of the archangel Saint Michael sheathing his sword at the summit of the building, announcing the end of an epidemic of plague, commemorated by the statue that crowns it. Today a museum, it offers from its terraces a magnificent view over Rome. A fascinating monument and a witness of history, Castel Sant'Angelo is a must-see stop of the discovery of the town.

What to see

Here you discover the imposing circular building by the Tiber, built in the second century by Hadrian as a mausoleum, become in turn a fortress, a papal palace linked to the Vatican by a secret passage, a prison and today a museum, crowned with the statue of the archangel Saint Michael that gives it its name, offering from its terraces a magnificent view over Rome. Castel Sant'Angelo is a fascinating monument of Rome. It is a must-see stop, to be explored on foot.

Practical information

Castel Sant'Angelo lies by the Tiber, facing the bridge of the same name, in Rome, reachable on foot. Become a museum, it can be visited according to its own hours and conditions, which vary; its terraces offer a fine view over the town. It is best to check the arrangements before coming.

What is the history of Castel Sant'Angelo in Rome?

Built in the second century by the emperor Hadrian as a mausoleum, it was in turn a fortress, a papal palace linked to the Vatican by a secret passage, a prison and today a museum; its name comes from a legend of the archangel Saint Michael, whose statue crowns it, and its terraces offer a magnificent view over Rome.

Where is Castel Sant'Angelo in Rome?

By the Tiber, facing the bridge of the same name, in Rome, in Italy.