Thursday, June 07, 2007

Castel Sant' Angelo and Hadrians mausoleum





This fantastic castle was built around the existing Habrians Mausoleum housing the tomb of the Roman Emperor Hadrian. The mausoleum was converted into an imposing castle bythe Popes in the 14th century. As a result it is a fantastic mix of Roman and Renaissance.



The courtyards are full of statues and frescos by Raphael and Carvaggio and others. There was an art gallery that was open that included Old Masters like Michelangelo and Carvaggio. Amazing.



It is just down the road from the Vatican so there are some impresive views of St Peters.

This was a real WOW day as I only visited the place on my brothers recommendation. I knew nothing about it before I visited.

1 comment:

Dragonfly said...

The views from the castle impressed me a lot, too. And it is kind of funny that all these "great" Popes were too big cowards to confront their enemies and they did hide in this place.