Buy tickets & tours:GetYourGuide Castel Sant’Angelo, also known as the Mausoleum of Hadrian or Mole Adrianorum, is one of the most important monuments in Rome. It stands on the right bank of the River Tiber, in the Borgo district, between the historic center and Vatican City. The monument was originally built as a Roman imperial tomb, but its role changed many times over the centuries. Castel Sant’Angelo became a fortress, a papal refuge, a prison, a military stronghold and, eventually, the National Museum of Castel Sant’Angelo. Few buildings in Rome preserve such a visible continuity between ancient, medieval, Renaissance and modern history. The massive cylindrical structure still reflects its Roman origin, while the bastions, papal apartments, prison cells and terraces show later transformations connected with the city’s political and religious history. Short History of Castel Sant’Angelo The Mausoleum of Hadrian The history of Castel Sant’Angelo began in 135 AD, when Emperor Hadrian commissioned a monumental mausoleum for himself and his family. The building was designed to be a dynastic tomb worthy of the imperial family and comparable in importance to the Mausoleum of Augustus. The works were completed in 139 AD under Emperor Antoninus Pius, Hadrian’s successor. The mausoleum Read more [...]
All Castles in Rome
Rome’s most important fortified monuments include Castel Sant’Angelo, originally built as Emperor Hadrian’s mausoleum and later transformed into a papal fortress. It was connected to the Vatican by the Passetto di Borgo, a fortified corridor used by popes in times of danger. Aurelian Walls protected the city from the late 3rd century.