explore castel sant' angelo

Castel Sant'Angelo, also called the Mausoleum of Hadrian and once the tallest building in Rome, is a fortress located on the right bank of the Tiber, near to Vatican City. Commissioned by the Roman Emperor Hadrian, to use it as mausoleum for himself and his family, the construction of the building began in the year 135. Later, the building, was used by the popes as a fortress, and is now a museum(Museo Nazionale di Castel Sant'Angelo). Inside, it is split into five floors which can be reached by a spiral ramp that first reaches the chamber of ashes and subsequently the cells in which a number of historical figures were incarcerated. Then, you will find different rooms that functioned as a Papal residence, decorated with perfectly preserved frescoes from the Renaissance period.