Discover Castel Sant'Angelo - Private Tour

This historic location was originally built to be a tomb for Emperor Hadrian and his family and it was finished in 139 AD. Despite its original purpose, Castel Sant’Angelo was almost immediately converted into a military building. In addition to serving that purpose, this is also the location where Pope Gregory I saw a vision of St. Michael the Archangel in 590, announcing the end of a great epidemic in Rome. To this day, a statue of St. Michael still adorns the top of Castel Sant’Angelo. Several centuries later, a corridor would be built to connect the castle with Vatican City so that the Pope could escape in the event of an emergency. In 1527, Pope Clement VII actually used this building as a refuge during sieges which were taking place in Rome.