The Castel Sant'Angelo

In ancient times, on the site of the Gardens of Horti Domitiani, on the banks of the Tiber River, Emperor Hadrian designated the place that would become his burial site and that of his entire dynasty. In those times, rulers would preoccupy themselves with their burial place, choosing a location for their own mausoleum. Between 135-139 AD, the Mausoleum was erected. The construction was built in the traditional form of an Etruscan tumulus—a burial chamber with a domed top made of earth. Each side of the square base was 84 meters in length. The cylinder placed on the base was 20 meters high and had a diameter of 64 meters. On the earthen mound on top, a statue of the Sun God—Helios—was installed. A spiral gallery leads to the burial chamber. Here were stored the urns with the ashes of the emperors and their families—from Hadrian Publius to Septimius Severus.

The Ponte Sant'Angelo (Bridge of the Holy Angel) was also built by order of Hadrian. The bridge provides access to the mausoleum from the center of Rome.

By the 5th century, Hadrian's mausoleum had lost its sheen and gradually transformed into a military fortification. During the Gothic invasion, some statues, urns with ashes, and decorations were stolen or destroyed.

In the Middle Ages, the castle became a residence for the popes of Rome. Here, pontiffs hid from enemies and an enraged populace. In the times of Pope Nicholas III, a secret gallery was built between the Vatican and the castle—through this passage, a horse-drawn carriage could freely pass, making the castle an impregnable fortress. When the troops of Charles V entered Rome, Clement VII took refuge here.

The dungeons and the lower tier of the building were used as a prison for a long time. Here were imprisoned Galileo, Count Cagliostro, Giordano Bruno, Pomponio Leto, Benvenuto Cellini (his drawing "Christ Resurrected" on the wall of the casemate has been preserved to this day).

When Rome became the capital of the unified Italian state in 1871, the authorities closed the prison. For some time, the castle served as a military warehouse and barracks. By that time, the halls were in a state of disrepair, and no frescoes remained on the walls. Colonel Luigi Durand de la Penne and Captain Mariano Borgatti initiated the castle's restoration, after which a military museum was opened. At the very beginning of the 20th century, it became the National Museum.

In the 9th-10th centuries, a legend emerged according to which in the year 590, when the plague was ravaging all of Europe, Pope Gregory the Great saw above the mausoleum of the Archangel Michael, who sheathed his sword. After this, the dreadful epidemic receded, in honor of which the tomb was called the "Castle of the Holy Angel", or in Italian, Castel Sant'Angelo. Also, in connection with these events, a figure of an angel made of wood was erected on the building. It was replaced several times thereafter. Now we see a bronze angel above the castle—this work was done in 1753 by Pier Van Verschaffelt.

The Castle of Saint Angelo is one of the main architectural jewels of central Rome. Its appearance is very memorable, and its layout is quite unusual since it was originally a round mausoleum, around which towers and walls were constructed.

On the first level of the castle, a circular corridor leads to the Courtyard of the Condemned—where executions of prison inmates were carried out. At the entrance to the castle, there is an arch and a staircase leading to the mausoleum of Hadrian.

The second level of the Castle of Saint Angelo begins with the Hall of Urns, where urns containing the ashes of Hadrian and his family are located in niches. Nearby is the Hall of Justice, where prisoners were read their sentences, as well as the prison cells. During archaeological excavations on the second level, rooms for storing supplies of oil, grain, etc., in case of a siege, were found.

The third level houses the Courtyard of the Angel. On the eastern side of the courtyard, there is an entrance to the papal apartments, specifically, one can see the chambers of Pope Clement VIII. Next is the Hall of Apollo—a fine example of how a military fortress was transformed into a luxurious residence. Pope Eugene IV ordered the construction of a chapel in honor of St. Cosmas and Damian next to the chambers. In 1450, the room was connected to the chapel by a passage—this was the wish of Nicholas V. Michelangelo Buonarroti participated in this restoration; he painted the chapel's walls. And Raphael da Montelupo depicted the Madonna and Child on the altar.

The fourth level contains a covered gallery displaying sculptures, archaeological finds, moldings, and various decorative elements. Further on, there are halls with collections of weapons from different epochs, as well as the apartments of Pius IV, the loggias of Paul III, and Julius II. Also, on the fourth level, there are several other interesting halls that deserve attention:

The Hall of Perseus with tapestries, frescoes, and gilded molding. Here hang the paintings "Lady with a Unicorn" and "Lamentation over the Dead Christ".

The Hall of Cupid and Psyche, decorated with frescoes on the theme of myths by Apuleius. Here, we see a bed, a small altar, portraits of Alexander VI and Paul III, as well as paintings "Carrying the Cross" and "Rest on the Flight into Egypt".

The Hall of Paolina—this hall was created in the 16th century as reception rooms for Paul III Farnese. Since that time, it has been used to receive important guests and ambassadors.

This level also houses the Treasury Room, used for storing church archives and treasury. In the center of the round hall, there are coffers, and along the perimeter—12 walnut cabinets. Further along the corridor, one can access the library, the walls of which are adorned with frescoes depicting the lives of emperors and the Catholic church.

Finally, the last, sixth level of the Castle of Saint Angelo ends with a route to the terrace, offering a stunning view of Rome. To the left, one can see the Bell of the Condemned, signaling the execution of prisoners. From the terrace, one can access the Hall of Flags and the Column Hall.

The Castel Sant'Angelo is mentioned in the novel by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra, "The Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote of La Mancha", and in the novel by Alexandre Dumas, "Ascanio". The castle is also a setting in Dan Brown's book "Angels & Demons". The Castel Sant'Angelo is referred to in Dan Simmons' novel "Summer of Night", published in 1991.

In Giacomo Puccini's opera "Tosca", the action of the third act takes place on the castle's rooftop.

One of the key scenes of the film "Roman Holiday", starring Audrey Hepburn, was filmed at the walls of the castle.

In popular culture, it appears in the video game Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood, where players have the opportunity to see what the castle was like at the beginning of the 16th century, as well as to visit inside this great monument in several missions.