Castel Sant'Angelo

Like the Pantheon, the Castel Sant'Angelo was built by the Emperor Hadrian in the early 2nd century. In ancient Rome, no tombs were allowed, not even for the emperor. So Hadrian built this castle as his mausoleum, located just outside the city walls and across the river.

It acquired the name Sant'Angelo ("Holy Angel") in 590 A.D. from a vision of the Archangel Michael by Pope Gregory the Great as he led a procession across the bridge, praying for the end of the plague. The angel appeared above the mausoleum and sheathed his sword, signaling the end of the epidemic.

Since then, the castle has served several functions. It became a bridgehead in the Emperor Aurelian's city walls, then a medieval prison, then a place of safety for popes during times of political unrest. A corridor links the castle with the Vatican Palace, to give popes an escape route. Today, the castle is a museum.

LENS: 28-70 at ~50mm | FILM: Fuji Velvia | EXPOSURE: f/22 at 4 minutes | DATE: 10/03

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