Castel Sant'Angelo

Castel Sant'Angelo was originally established as a mausoleum that Emperor Hadrian had built in 123 AD for himself and his successors. It was completed in 139 AD and constructed near the Tiber River. It was connected to the opposite bank of the river by the Pons Aelius, dedicated to the god Helios (the sun). Hadrian's Mausoleum (today also called Mole Adriana) had a square base upon which rested a cylindrical structure. Inside, there were three large chambers stacked atop one another for the imperial tombs, along with a helical ramp.

In 359, Emperor Honorius transformed the mausoleum—which had already been incorporated into the Aurelian Walls defending Rome—into a fortress; hence the name "castle."

Because Castel Sant’Angelo is close to the Vatican and St. Peter's Basilica, it was modified in the following centuries to serve as a Papal residence. Starting from the 1600s, it began to lose its role as a residence to become almost exclusively a prison, until September 20, 1870, when Rome was proclaimed the capital of the Kingdom of Italy.

At the end of the 1800s, the ruined castle became a barracks, a military prison, and a warehouse for war materials. Since 1925, Castel Sant'Angelo has been a National Museum, housing paintings by famous Italian and foreign artists, and the Armory, a collection of ancient weapons.

Visit Castel Sant'Angelo while staying at the Romanico Hotel & Spa!