{"id":667016,"date":"2022-02-15T11:02:00","date_gmt":"2022-02-15T08:02:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tourism.com.de\/?p=667016"},"modified":"2024-01-30T15:07:03","modified_gmt":"2024-01-30T13:07:03","slug":"castel-santangelo-in-rome-history-photo-description-opening-hours-map","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tourism.com.de\/en\/castel-santangelo-in-rome-history-photo-description-opening-hours-map\/","title":{"rendered":"Castel Sant’Angelo in Rome – history, photo, description, opening hours, map"},"content":{"rendered":"

Castel Sant'Angelo is one of the most outstanding architectural structures in Rome<\/a>. The building of the richest history<\/a>, which began its long life as a mausoleum, and is now the National Museum. A visit to the walls, saturated with the memory of great wars and historical figures, is recommended for every inquisitive travel<\/a>er.<\/p>\n

Story<\/h2>\n

\"Castel<\/a><\/p>\n

The history<\/a> of the castle<\/a> dates back to the second century AD, when the ruling emperor Andrian decided to erect a family mausoleum. The place was not chosen by chance – the land here was not only used for burials from ancient times, but also extremely advantageously located next to the river. Construction was carried out for sixteen years, and Adrian himself did not live to see its completion. The work was completed under the strict guidance of Antony Pius, who deprived the mausoleum of its family status, assigning it to the state, and until 217 the urns of all the deceased rulers of Rome<\/a> were placed inside<\/a> it.<\/p>\n

The building was built in the likeness of the Etruscan tumulus and consisted of three blocks: one on top of the other. A statue<\/a> of Hadrian in the garb of the Sun God was installed on its top, driving a bronze chariot with four horses. The building itself was lavishly decorated with marble and statues, and an ornamental garden was laid out on the roof. At the beginning of the fifth century, the mausoleum had to say goodbye to its former beauty and splendor – the building was converted into an outpost, and all because of its strategically advantageous location on the banks of the Tiber. However, at that time it was a completely common practice of using museums and temple<\/a>s – they all served to protect Rome.<\/p>\n

The Castle of the Holy Angel protected the Eternal City<\/a> from the north<\/a> side during the invasion of the Goths, and later completely turned into an impregnable fortress. It will not be superfluous to mention how the castle<\/a> got its name. In 590 AD, Rome was engulfed by a plague, and once Pope Gregory the Great had a vision of the Archangel Michael, who was standing on the roof of the mausoleum and sheathed his sword, signifying the retreat of a terrible disea<\/a>se.<\/p>\n

With the growth of the authority of the Vatican<\/a> power, the castle gradually migrated to the possession of the Pope. Pope Nicholas III ordered to rebuild a covered corridor between the castle and St. Peter's Basilica, and Leo III erected high impregnable walls. In the Middle Ages, the most powerful families of Rome fought for power over the castle until the return of the papal court after a long stay in Avignon. Pope Urban V declared that the only guarantee of his power in Rome was the keys to the castle. He even had to defend the walls from raging citizens with the help of French soldiers.<\/p>\n

Peacetime was established under Pope Boniface IX. The castle still served as a fortress, with supplies of water and food in case of a long siege. In case of danger<\/a>, the popes moved from the Vatican to the castle along a covered path, which was by no means uncommon at that time. For example, the Pope from the hated by many Borgia family – Alexander VI – took refuge in the fortress from the troops of Charles VIII. But the most famous is the escape of Clement VII, who fled to the castle under fire from the troops of Charles V during the infamous Sack of Rome in 1527.<\/p>\n

The castle was so impregnable that the papal authorities decided to place valuable things in it. So the Hall of Treasures was created, in which a huge chest was placed. This giant “safe” was deliberately made wider than the doorway, so that would-be thieves could not pull it out. At the beginning of the sixteenth century, when Pope Alexander VI came to power, the castle was completely transformed, becoming a significant tool in the course of military operations. The building was fortified with four bastions, a moat was dug. Inside the castle, comfortable apartments<\/a> for the Popes and halls for receiving guests were arranged.<\/p>\n

Most of the military structures of past centuries were destroyed under Pope Urban VIII in order to rebuild a new version of the defensive barricades, and from 1667 to 1669 the bridge<\/a> leading to the castle was decorated with statues of the Holy Angels, made by the sculptor Giovanni Bern<\/a>ini and his students. However, these angels could not hide the horrors that were happening within the walls of the castle. Unwanted violators were beheaded, and their heads were hung on the walls as a warning to others. In the dark, damp dungeons, the most severe tortures were car<\/a>ried out on people accused of heresy and simply objectionable to the papal authorities.<\/p>\n

However, today, the Castel Sant'Angelo is a majestic building and one of the most visit<\/a>ed cultural and historical sites<\/a> in Italy<\/a>, and the shadows and echoes of past horrors and atrocities<\/a> have remained in the distant past.<\/p>\n

Architecture and description<\/a><\/h2>\n

\"Castel<\/a><\/p>\n

Castel Sant'Angelo is an outstanding cylindrical architectural building located on the banks of the Tiber River. In previous centuries, it was considered one of the tallest buildings in the Eternal City<\/a>. Due to numerous reconstructions and alterations, nothing remains of the marble walls and rich decoration laid down under Hadrian, but this does not detract from the external splendor of the castle. The initial project is being viewed – a cylindrical structure is installed on a square base.<\/p>\n

Until our time, the brickwork, the entrance built of stone blocks, the ramp leading to the upper floors and the burial hall in the cylindrical part<\/a> have miraculously survived. The rest<\/a>oration of the castle at the end of the nineteenth century put the interior in order, and in 1906 the National Museum was opened inside. Now guests are invited to visit six levels, each of which presents its own theme and unique<\/a> exhibits. An important part of the architectural ensemble is the bridge of the Holy Angel, leading to the entrance to the castle.<\/p>\n

Notable prisoners<\/h2>\n

The impregnable and terribly high walls of the great castle knew quite a few prisoners. The highly spiritual Papal power mercilessly punished heretics and criminals, and next to the luxurious apartments of the Popes there were dark and terrible dungeons and torture chambers. Among the most famous prisoners of the Castel Sant'Angelo were the following:<\/p>\n

Museum<\/h2>\n

\"Castel<\/a><\/p>\n

The opening of the museum took place in 1906 after a long reconstruction under the leadership of Mariano Borgatti. Initially, he, and Luigi de la Penna, dreamed of creating exclusively a museum of military equipment. During the rest<\/a>oration, quite a few valuable artifacts, ceramics and photo<\/a>graphs were found, which were collected in a separate exposition. By 1911, the composition of the exhibits had expanded significantly, and the Ministry of Education and Culture took up the organization of the museum in earnest. The Castle of the Holy Angel was named National Museum in 1925.<\/p>\n

First level<\/h2>\n

Visitors entering the castle are greeted by a marble bus<\/a>t of Jesus Christ, sculpted in the fifteenth century. Along the circular corridor you can reach the Court of the Doomed, where those sentenced to death were deprived of their lives. Through a large arch you can get into the room where the original Hadrian's mausoleum was located. From the hall of the tomb through the tunnel you can go to the next level.<\/p>\n

Second level<\/h2>\n

On the second level is the Urn Hall – here are the remains of Hadrian and his family. Nearby is the Hall of Justice and the cells of prisoners. According to archeological excavations, food and water supplies were stored in the niches of this level in case of a long siege.<\/p>\n

Third level<\/h2>\n

The third level welcomes guests with a square-shaped Angel's Court, in which a dilapidated statue of an Angel is installed, which once flaunted on the roof of the castle. Here is also the entrance to the chambers of the former popes, where you can admire the luxurious apartments of the former rulers of the Vatican, which were partially decorated by such prominent artists as Michelangelo, Giulio Romano and Giovanni de Udino.<\/p>\n

Fourth level<\/h2>\n

On the fourth level there is a covered gallery, as well as the chambers of Pope Pius IV and Paul III. In addition, there are several halls here: the Perseus Hall with the image of the legend of the outstanding hero of myths, the Hall of Cupid and Psyche, whose walls are painted with amazingly beautiful frescoes, and, finally, the Paolin Hall, in which guests were received for a long time.<\/p>\n

Fifth level<\/h2>\n

Here is the Treasury Room, where papal treasures and church archives were kept. There is also a library on the fifth level.<\/p>\n

Sixth level<\/h2>\n

The final point of the route<\/a>, which offers a breathtaking view of the river and St. Peter's Basilica. From the terrace of the Angel there is a passage to the halls of flags and columns.<\/p>\n

Where is it located and how to<\/a> get there<\/a><\/h2>\n

Address<\/a>: Lungotevere Castello, 50 – 00193. The easiest way to get there is the subway (station Ottaviano-San Pietro and Lepanto).<\/p>\n

Opening hours<\/a> and ticket prices<\/a><\/h2>\n

The castle is open for visits daily from 9:00 to 19:30. Ticket sales<\/a> end one hour before closing. Ticket price – 10 euros (may vary in case of special events and exhibitions).<\/p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

History of the Castel Sant’Angelo in Rome. Architecture and description of the Castel Sant’Angelo. Famous prisoners of the castle. Museum in Castel Sant’Angelo. Where is the castle and how to get there<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":574082,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_wp_rev_ctl_limit":""},"categories":[2779,2069,2709],"tags":[1222],"class_list":["post-667016","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-italien-en","category-europa-en","category-ideen-trends-inspiration-en","tag-affiai-en"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tourism.com.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/667016","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tourism.com.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tourism.com.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tourism.com.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tourism.com.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=667016"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/tourism.com.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/667016\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tourism.com.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/574082"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tourism.com.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=667016"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tourism.com.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=667016"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tourism.com.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=667016"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}