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Built by the emperor Adrian in 123 A.D. as a
mausoleum for himself and his imperial dynasty. The original work was very
different from the one you can see nowadays; its turning into a castle took
place in the X century; in 1277 it became property of the Church, that joined it
through the famous "passetto" to the Vatican walls. The passetto is a long
fortified corridor that allowed the passage of the pontiffs from the Vatican
Palaces to the castle. The name of Castel Sant'Angelo dates back to the XII
century and originates from an ancient legend that tells the story of the plague
in Rome in 590; according to this story the plague came to an end thanks to the
an angel that alighted upon the mausoleum and made the gesture of replacing the
sword in the sheath, symbolizing the accorded Grace. |
