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 [...]
Tag: Antonio da Sangallo the Younger in Rome
St Peter’s Basilica (Basilica di San Pietro)
Buy tickets & tours:GetYourGuide St Peter’s Basilica (Basilica di San Pietro) is the largest of the four papal basilicas of Rome and one of the most important religious buildings in Christianity. Officially known as the Papal Basilica of Saint Peter in the Vatican, it stands in Vatican City, at the western end of Piazza San Pietro. Although the basilica is located in Vatican City, an independent state, it is usually visited during a trip to Rome. Its position, close to Castel Sant’Angelo, the Tiber River and the historic center of Rome, makes it one of the most accessible and significant landmarks for visitors to the Eternal City. The basilica is often described as one of the largest churches in the world, both for its physical dimensions and for its role in Catholicism. It is the site of major papal liturgies and one of the most important pilgrimage destinations connected to the Apostle Peter. However, St Peter’s Basilica is not the cathedral of Rome. That title belongs to the Basilica of Saint John Lateran, the official seat of the Bishop of Rome. Saint Peter’s Basilica is instead a papal basilica closely connected with the Vatican, the papacy and the tomb traditionally Read more [...]
Church of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart
The Church of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart (Chiesa di Nostra Signora del Sacro Cuore), also known as the Church of San Giacomo degli Spagnoli, is a church in Rome, located between Corso del Rinascimento and Piazza Navona. SHORT HISTORY A first church was erected on this site in the 13th century, and dedicated to Saint James the Great, the patron saint of Spain. In 1440, the church was completely rebuilt at the expense of Alfonso de Paradinas. The facade was the work of the architect Bernardo Rossellino. Pope Alexander VI Borgia ordered new expansion works on the church, widened the square in front of the entrance on Via della Sapienza, and moved to the annexed buildings the hospices for Spanish pilgrims. In 1506, the Church of San Giacomo became the national church of the Spanish community in Rome. In 1518, the church was again remodeled by Antonio da Sangallo the Younger, who would later become the architect of all the papal buildings. In 1818, after a period of neglect, the church was abandoned by the Spanish community in favor of the Church of Santa Maria di Monserrato, where the furnishings and tombs were also transferred. In 1878, Read more [...]
Church of Santa Maria di Loreto
The Church of Santa Maria di Loreto is a beautiful church located in Piazza Venezia, in Rome, close to the Trajan’s Column and the Forum of Trajan. SHORT HISTORY In 1500, the Congregation of Bakers (Congregazione dei Fornai) obtained from Pope Alexander VI a small chapel, which was demolished to build the current church. The works, based on a project by Antonio da Sangallo the Younger, were started in 1507. The dome of the church was built by Giacomo del Duca in 1582. In the 19th century, the church was restored by Luca Carimini, and completed with a presbytery by Giuseppe Sacconi, the architect of the nearby National Monument to Victor Emmanuel II. ART AND ARCHITECTURE The architecture of the church is characterized by pilasters in travertine that stand out on the brick walls, and is notable for the beauty of its proportions. The project is characterized by simple overlapping volumes – the body of the church with a square plan, surmounted by the octagonal volume of the drum, on which is placed the dome. At the top of the dome, we can find the lantern, with a very elaborate shape. The interior is octagonal in shape, with Read more [...]
