Castel Sant’Angelo

The majestic Castel Sant’Angelo before you has served as a tomb, fortress, papal palace, prison and museum. Built under the reign of Emperor Hadrian around 135 AD, it was originally an imperial mausoleum. Then, around 270, they added bastions and used it as a fortress to watch over the banks of the Tiber. In the 13th century, the structure was handed over to the Church, which converted it into a prison. Galileo, for example, was imprisoned here for his belief that the sun was at the center of the universe! They even built a tunnel in the 18th century to link the fortress to the Vatican, which was outside the walls and thus vulnerable to attack. The Castel Sant’Angelo also served as a place of refuge for the Popes in the event of threats to the Vatican! So what does the name Sant’Angelo have to do with all this? Well, legend has it that Pope Gregory I had a vision in 590, back when the Black Death was ravaging the city. He saw the Archangel Michael standing over the mausoleum, sheathing his sword – a sign that the epidemic was coming to an end. The war was over, so to speak. Pope Pius II then had a chapel built at the site. As for the bronze statue, it dates from 1753. You can visit the castle, which is now a museum that will walk you through all the transformations it has seen over the centuries.