Close Up of the Castel Sant’Angelo in Rome
I have never heard of the Castel Sant’Angelo in Rome, even though it is but a stone’s throw away from Saint Peter’s Basilica. Maybe there is a reason why these important landmarks are so close to each other. The Castel Sant’Angelo or Castle of the Holy Angel, is also known as the Tomb of Emperor Hadrian. While I have heard of Hadrian, I must have fell asleep during World History that I don’t really remember what he was all about. The castle here was built to house the ashes of Hadrian, and this was built when the emperor was still alive, in fact, it was Emperor Hadrian who commissioned the construction of the castle.
Imposing Castel Sant’Angelo in Rome
Yes, it is quite unlike any tomb I have ever seen. It looks a lot more like a castle and perhaps this was the intention. The castle has a cylindrical shape and rises several stories high. For a while, the Castle Sant’Angelo was the tallest structure in Rome. You might wonder if this place was the tomb of Emperor Hadrian, then why name it Castel Sant’Angelo, which is a very Christian inspired name. With the spread of Christianity and the establishment of Rome as the seat of the Catholic Church, the castle was occupied by the popes as a fortress and castle very much like kings and emperors would do.
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