Saint Angel Castle

The Saint Angel Castle was constructed in the year 123 AD by the Roman Emperor Hadrian as a mausoleum for himself. The building was later used by the popes as a fortress and castle. The Saint Angel Castle is connected to St. Peter’s Basilica by a covered fortified corridor called the Passetto di Borgo.

Legend holds that during the 590 plague the Pope saw the Archangel Michael appearing on top of the mausoleum and sheathing his sword as a sign of the end of the plague, thus lending the castle its present name. Later the statue of the angel was placed on the castle roof.

The castle is now a museum part of which is the exposition of weapons of 15^th-19^th centuries. We didn’t go inside the castle but its exterior is very impressive too especially at night.

The exterior of Saint Angel castle

Opposite the castle there is a bridge Ponte Sant’Angelo which to my mind is one of the most beautiful bridges. The bridge got its current appearance due to Bernini who decorated it with a dozen of angel statues.

You can enjoy viewing photos of the bridge in the section “Photos of Rome”.

After a few hundred meters we found ourselves in Piazza Navona considered to be one of the most beautiful squares in Rome.