It was built on the bank of the Tiber river by the Emperor Hadrian in 123 B.C to be a mausoleum for his and his descendants’ ashes. The tomb modelled on Etruscan lines, has a rectangular base elevated to a squat cylinder.
It took the name of Castel Sant’Angelo in the Middle Ages during the Papal dominion that undertook the evident fortifications - such as the perimeter wall and the polygonal bastions. Between the Late Medieval epoch and the Renaissance, a sumptuous Papal Palace or Apartments was built upon the Castle, the most famous of which being those of Pope Paul III in virtue of the frescoes by Perin Del Vaga in the Paoline Hall.
The helicoidal staircase dating back to the Roman epoch was discovered in 1823 thanks to a papal guard. A continuous and incessant work of restoration was begun to restore to the light of day and conserve whatever possible of what remained, left by the passage of time. It has become a National Monument and recounts the story of a historical period of more than 1800 years – from the image of the Angel of Van Verschaffelt raised heavenwards to that of the most sinister of secrets.
The Legend
On top of Castel Sant'Angelo stands, proud and powerful, the archangel Michele that puts a sword in the scabbard. The bronze statue, designed around in mid-1700, was erected in memory of a vision held by Gregorio Magnoin the sixth century d.C.. It is said that the pope, desperate for a serious epidemic fever that raged in Rome, he ordered a large procession from San Giovanni in Laterano to St. Peter's Basilica for invoke the end of the scourge. Al end of the procession, the Pope had a vision: at the top of the Mole Adriano he saw a radiant angel with a sword in hand shining glory of putting the weapon! The message seemed clear: to rest the iron, ended the torture! The Lord had accepted the petitions and to remember this, perhaps even in replacement of a votive of the Gregorio Magno, the beautiful angel of Castle was erected. A few years later would have been placed beside the Mercy of the bell announcing the executions.
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