Castel Sant'Angelo
Paying homage to the Castel Sant’Angelo’s intertwined history, we’ll move in an exciting tour that includes masterpieces, daring escapes and stunning views of Rome.
Besides offering shelter to Popes throughout history, Castel Sant’Angelo is a fascinating building and one of the best examples of Rome’s layered construction history.
It was born as the Mausoleum of Hadrian, a burial site built in the 2nd century AD for the Emperor and his descendants. In the late Imperial period, it was swallowed up by the city fortification, becoming a part of the Aurelian Walls and receiving appropriate modifications like an underground prison, cannons, a moat and a drawbridge. Pope Clement VII must have surely appreciated the renovation when he barricaded himself in the Castello during the Sack of Rome using the Passetto di Borgo, the Pope’s secret exit from the Vatican, to fool the mercenary forces of the Landsknecht, of course!
We’ll make sure to chart the many transformations of Castel Sant’Angelo during the tour – luckily, they’re all pretty evident – before heading up to the panoramic Terrace and its magnificent view of Rome!
Besides offering shelter to Popes throughout history, Castel Sant’Angelo is a fascinating building and one of the best examples of Rome’s layered construction history.
It was born as the Mausoleum of Hadrian, a burial site built in the 2nd century AD for the Emperor and his descendants. In the late Imperial period, it was swallowed up by the city fortification, becoming a part of the Aurelian Walls and receiving appropriate modifications like an underground prison, cannons, a moat and a drawbridge. Pope Clement VII must have surely appreciated the renovation when he barricaded himself in the Castello during the Sack of Rome using the Passetto di Borgo, the Pope’s secret exit from the Vatican, to fool the mercenary forces of the Landsknecht, of course!
We’ll make sure to chart the many transformations of Castel Sant’Angelo during the tour – luckily, they’re all pretty evident – before heading up to the panoramic Terrace and its magnificent view of Rome!
