Castel Santangelo

Castel Sant'Angelo from the bridge. The transcend statue depicts the angel from whom the edifice derives its name.

The Mausoleum of Hadrian, commonly known every bit the Castel Sant'Angelo, is a towering cylindrical edifice inward Parco Adriano, Rome, Italy. It was initially commissioned yesteryear the Roman Emperor Hadrian every bit a mausoleum for himself in addition to his family. The edifice was afterward used yesteryear the popes every bit a fortress in addition to castle, in addition to is straight off a museum.

The persuasion from Castel Sant'Angelo towards Vatican City

Hadrian's tomb

The tomb of the Roman emperor Hadrian, also called Hadrian's mole, was erected on the correct banking concern of the Tiber, betwixt 135 AD in addition to 139 AD. Originally the mausoleum was a decorated cylinder, amongst a garden transcend in addition to golden quadriga. Hadrian's ashes were placed hither a yr after his expiry inward Baiae inward 138 AD, together amongst those of his married adult woman Sabina, in addition to his outset adopted son, Lucius Aelius, who also died inward 138 AD. Following this, the remains of succeeding emperors were also placed here, the finally recorded deposition beingness Caracalla inward 217 AD. The urns containing these ashes were in all likelihood placed inward what is straight off known every bit the Treasury room deep within the building. Hadrian also built the Pons Aelius facing direct onto the mausoleum – it soundless provides a scenic approach from the centre of Rome in addition to the correct banking concern of the Tiber, in addition to is renowned for the Baroque additions of statues of angels belongings aloft elements of the Passion of Christ.

The master angel yesteryear Raffaello da Montelupo.

Destruction

Much of the tomb contents in addition to decorations convey been lost since the building's conversion to a armed forces fortress inward 401 in addition to its subsequent inclusion inward the Aurelian Walls yesteryear Flavius Augustus Honorius. The urns in addition to ashes were scattered yesteryear Visigoth looters during Alaric's sacking of Rome inward 410, in addition to the master decorative bronze in addition to stone statuary were thrown downwardly upon the attacking Goths when they besieged Rome inward 537, every bit recounted yesteryear Procopius. An odd survivor, however, is the capstone of a funerary urn (probably that of Hadrian), which made its agency to Saint Peter's Basilica in addition to was incorporated into a massive Renaissance baptistery. The purpose of spolia from the tomb inward the post-Roman menses was noted inward the 16th century - Giorgio Vasari writes:

...in monastic enjoin to construct churches for the purpose of the Christians, non entirely were the roughly honoured temples of the idols [pagan Roman gods] destroyed, only inward monastic enjoin to ennoble in addition to decorate Saint Peter's amongst to a greater extent than ornaments than it in addition to so possessed, they took away the stone columns from the tomb of Hadrian, straight off the castle of Sant'Angelo, every bit good every bit many other things which nosotros straight off run into inward ruins.

Legend holds that the Archangel Michael appeared atop the mausoleum, sheathing his sword every bit a sign of the terminate of the plague of 590, thence lending the castle its introduce name.

Museum

Decommissioned inward 1901, the castle is straight off a museum, the Museo Nazionale di Castel Sant'Angelo.

Ponte Sant'Angelo which leads to the Castel Sant'Angelo.

Popular culture

The Castel Sant'Angelo appeared inward Dan Brown's 2000 new Angels & Demons. The location was the hole-and-corner lair for the Hassassin in addition to was seen every bit the finally existing church building of the Illuminati. The volume also emphasized the Passetto di Borgo every bit a hole-and-corner agency of getting from the Vatican to the castle. It also appears inward the 2009 displace picture, Angels & Demons, every bit i of the locations where a clue that leads to the papal assassin.

The castle appeared inward the cinema Roman Holiday inward a scene taking house on barges on the river below.

Verschaffelt's replacement.

In Puccini's opera, Tosca, the Castel is where Cavaradossi is held prisoner. After murdering Scarpia inward his person room at the Palazzo Farnese, Floria Tosca goes to the Castel Sant'Angelo, rubber conducts inward hand, where her lover, Mario Cavaradossi is to hold upwardly executed. She has been led to believe it volition hold upwardly a mock execution in addition to is horrified to observe her lover dead. Rather than hold upwardly arrested yesteryear Scarpia's henchmen, she throws herself from the rooftop.

The castle is i of the settings of Endymion in addition to The Rise of Endymion, books inward the Hyperion Cantos yesteryear writer Dan Simmons. In the novels it has been relocated, along amongst large parts of the Vatican to the fictional planet Pacem. It serves every bit a prison theatre in addition to site of the torture of several protagonists inward the novels, which include a resurgent version of the Catholic Church beingness the major ability inward human society.

In 1980, the American punk stone band The Ramones played a concert exterior the castle in addition to also the difficult stone band Kiss played an exterior demo at the Castel.

In the Trinity Blood novels, a castle called San Angelo is the spot of ability for the Catholic Church, though it is non known whether this is the same castle every bit the i inward existent life.

The Castel appears inward the 2009 video game Assassin's Creed II in addition to also to a greater extent than prominently inward the game's 2010 sequel, Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood. In both games it is used every bit the official residence of Pope Alexander VI in addition to his children, Cesare in addition to Lucrezia Borgia. The Castel is protected yesteryear the Papal Guard every bit good every bit many Roman guard. During Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood, the Castel is infiltrated yesteryear the primary character, Ezio Auditore, inward an endeavour to rescue Caterina Sforza in addition to in i lawsuit again afterward when trying to recover i of the "Pieces of Eden". It appears in i lawsuit again inward the Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood downloadable content, The Da Vinci Disappearance, when Ezio must infiltrate the Castel to pocket 2 paintings yesteryear Leonardo da Vinci. Also inward Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood yous tin gain a trophy for jumping from the transcend of the Castel Sant'Angelo amongst a parachute.

The blueprint of the McKinley National Memorial inward Canton, Ohio, which is the concluding resting house of the States President William McKinley in addition to his family, was based upon the Tomb of Hadrian according to its architect, Harold Van Buren Magonigle.