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 The
CASTEL
SANT' ANGELO is a small castle on the banks of the Tevere
(Tiber) River
located just outside of the Vatican.�
The Castle, along with the beautiful Elian bridge in front of it,
was built by the Emperor Hadrian (of Hadrian's Wall fame) as a
Mausoleum for himself and for his successors.� The castle was
completed a year after his death in 138 AD.�
The tomb was converted into a fortress by the Emperor Aurelian in
271 AD and served as part of the defense system for Rome.�
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In 1277 the castle was occupied by Nicholas II, who then built a
secret passageway along the wall of the Vatican to the papal
quarters.� Both the passageway and the castle were a highlight
of author Dan Brown's book Angels and Demons.�
After the passageway was built, the castle remained under the
control of the Vatican, which used the castle as a fortress and a
prison.
Today the castle is a National Museum.
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The upper regions of
the castle provide a grand view of both Ancient Rome and the Vatican.� The bridge across the Tiber is also remarkably
photogenic, and is vaguely reminiscent of the
Charles Bridge in
Prague.
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Heidelberg
