Construction of Castel Sant’Angelo began in the year 135 under the direction of the Emperor Hadrian, who intended to use it as mausoleum for himself and his family. It was finished in the year 139 and a short time later, it became a military building, which in the year 403 would be integrated to the Aurelian Walls.

In the year 590, while a great epidemic of plague devastated the city, the Pope Gregory I had a vision of Saint Michael the Archangel on top of the castle, announcing the end of the epidemic. In memory of the apparition the building is crowned with a statue of an angel.

The Castel Sant'Angelo is a museum now. It it split into five floors which can be reached by a spiral ramp that first reaches the chamber of ashes and subsequently the cells in which a number of historical figures were incarcerated. You can admire sculptures, pope's residential furniture, precious ancient weapons, paintings and other cultural relics here.

Advancing toward the upper part of the castle you will find different rooms that functioned as a Papal residence, decorated with perfectly preserved frescoes from the Renaissance period, besides the extensive collection of weapons. In the upper floor there is a large terrace where you can take amazing photographs of Fiume Tevere(the Tiber) and the city from above.

Ponte Sant’Angelo spans the Tiber with five arches, three of which are Roman. On the bridge, there are twelve angels standing for different meanings. The bridge is a masterpiece of Baroque art deco.