 | Rome Castel Sant'Angelo Reviews | Tips 11 - 20 of 164 |  |
Reaching level 4 and 5, I felt much more impressed by the views on Rome than by the papal apartments or the small military museum. For sure the rooms are magnificent with the frescoes and of course the prisons and torture chamber are there to remember that the popes had also a secular authority.
What impressed me really were the views as well from the covered terraces as from the upper panoramic terrace under the statue of the angel. There is even a small café on one of the terraces.
What desolated me is that somebody felt clever to put an antenna just behind the bronze statue of the archangel Michael. I don't know if my compatriot Pieter Verschaffelt who made this statue is happy with that horrible antenna!?
Actually this Flemish sculptor lived in Rome from 1737 till 1752 where a created other works and was called Pietro Il Fiamingo. Later he worked in Mannheim.
But there are the views. From here you can really see that the Quirinal Palace is on a hill, and that the Vittoriano dominates all Rome. It's evident that Rome has hundred of churches with cupolas and very few bell towers. From here you can also distinguish how imposing is the dome of the Pantheon. To the right the most imposing dome of them all St Peters.
I can't understand how Tosca could throw herself from this terrace with such a wonderful view… ah, l'Amore!
Open: Tuesday to Sunday 9 - 19 h. Closed on Monday.
Price: ordinary 5 €; free for EU citizens less than 18 and more than 65 years old. |
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It was planned by the emperor Hadrien to be his tomb and was started in 123 a.c. and was called the Hadrien Mausoleum.
Between 275 and 403 , it was fortified to defend from attacks.
It is said it became a castle around the 5th century.
Around 1277, nicolas 3 unitied the castle to the Vatican with a wall called "il passeto".It enabled the popes to go from one to an another.
It took its name "St Angelo castle" in the 12th century after a very old legend: during a procession in 590 to implore the "virgin" to put a stop to the plague, an angel appeared on the top of the Mausoleum, putting back his sword in his sheath in sign of grace. Leave a Comment Address: Piazza adriana |
Built by the Emperor Adrianus in 130 A.D. to be his imperial tomb, Saint Angelo is a round shaped castle on the bank of the Tiber River. At the top, the angel statue that probably gives out its name. It is fun to walk around the castle or on the walls. No fancy rooms, only stones. Saint Angelo is though an important landmark of Rome.
Hadrianeum, as initially called, was begun in 123 A.D. and held the Imperial remains until 217 A.D. The original design is not known, but from the description of Procopius, a 6th century Byzantine historian. The structure was heavily modified under Aurelian (275 A.D.) and under Honorius (403 A.D.) and it was a bastion against the barbarian invasion in 410 A.D. The transformation into a castle occurred in the 10th century, and the name of Sant'Angelo dates to the 12th century. Leave a Comment |
Built originally as the mausoleum for the Emporer Hadrian, this was converted into a fortress in the Middle ages whcih has served until modern times. Admission is 5 euros and besides the castle itself the upper levels give great views of St. Peters and the rest of Rome. Leave a Comment |
Maybe this should be an Off the Beaten Path tip as few people venture to the back of the Castle. Here you will find this lovely outdoor playground for kids as well as lovely gardens, a great view of the Castel, the Passetto (Pope's getaway passage from the Vatican) and a great bronze statue of Hadrian rear-guarding his Castle from behind. Address: Castle Sant Angelo - rear areaDirections: From the front of the Castle - walk around the right side and down the hill into what appears to have been a moat. |
emperor hadrian ruled rome during the height of the roman empire. hadrian's mausoleum was built it 139AD. in the middle ages it was converted into a fortress to protect the pope. at one time it was part of emperor aurelian's city wall. it also served as a prison and the residence of popes during times of political unrest. there is a museum in the citadel that covers it's history. closed mondays. Address: lungotevere castello 50Phone: 06 3996 7600Directions: vatican area, bus: 23, 34, 62 |
Doesn't quite ring a bell? Then think Audrey Hepburn! Think ROMAN HOLIDAY! And remember the dance scene on the river towards the end of the movie! The wonderfully illuminated building in the background is the Castel Sant'Angelo.
The fortress was originally the mausoleum of Emperor Hadrian, before it became a refuge for the Popes in times of trouble. It is located just a short distance away from the Vatican and was previously linked to it via a bunch of secret passageways.
It was given its present name after Pope Gregory the Great apparently saw a vision of an angel predicting the end of the plague.
Apart from the historical background it also is a great place to enjoy some magnificent views over the Vatican and the city.
Admission is E5.00. Leave a Comment Directions: Close to the Vatican, on the river |
The Mausoleum of Hadrian, usually known as the Castel Sant'Angelo, is a towering cylindrical building in Rome, initially commissioned by the Roman Emperor Hadrian as a mausoleum for himself and his family. The building, located in the rione of Borgo, spent over a thousand years as a fortress and castle, and is now a museum.
The popes converted the structure into a castle, from the 14th century; Pope Nicholas III connected the castle to St. Peter's Basilica by a covered fortified corridor called the Passetto di Borgo. The fortress was the refuge of Pope Clement VII from the siege of Charles V's Landsknecht during the Sack of Rome (1527), in which Benvenuto Cellini describes strolling the ramparts and shooting enemy soldiers.
Leo X built a chapel with a fine Madonna by Raffaello da Montelupo. In 1536 Montelupo also created a marble statue of Saint Michael holding his sword after the 590 plague (as described above) to surmount the Castel.[2] Later Paul III built a rich apartment, to ensure that in any future siege the Pope had an appropriate place to stay. Address: East of Vatican before the river TevereDirections: Follow the via della Conciliazione from vatican or; Cross the Ponte Sant Angelo Bridge from the other side |
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We didn't actually go into the Castel Sant' Angelo, we just had a walk around it. Never the less, it was quite impressive.
This huge round building stands at the opposite end of Via Della Conciliazione from the Vatican, on the edge of the River Tiber.
A word of warning though: there are lots and lots of people outside trying to sell everything from watches to handbags.
The Castel Sant' Angelo appeared to be the center of activity for these guys. We are not sure if there is always this many of them or whether it is just on a Sunday, but be warned, there are lots!
Again though, we did not actually enter the Castel Sant' Angelo, but would certainly recommend going to at least have a look at it! Leave a Comment Directions: Opposite end of Via Della Conciliazione from the Vatican, on the edge of the River Tiber |
The Castel Sant' Angel is probably for me the most interesting actual castle in all of Italy. With regards to design it is also one of the most unusaul that I have seen anywhere. This is because of the castles orgins as a tomb for Emperor Hadrian back in the 2nd century. During the Middle Ages it was turned into a fortification which when you consider how often Rome has been sacked and pillaged you would think that such a castle was long overdue. The castle was linked by battlements and an underground passage to the Vatican and St. Peter's Cathedral. This was very much a necessity as the Pope often had to hide out in the castle throughout Rome's violent history. The castle was also used as a prison. Today you can tour the elaborately decorated apartments where the Pope frequently lived during the Renaissance. There are also halls of weaponry and suits of armor from Medieval times. I also recommend that you visit the terrace atop of the castle where you have excellent view of the Vatican and Rome. Leave a Comment Address: Lungotvere Castello 50Phone: 06-681-9111Directions: Near Vatican City |
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