Built around 123 AD as a tomb for Emperor Hadrian and his family, Castel Sant'Angelo has accompanied the fate and history of Rome for almost two thousand years.
From a funerary monument to a fortified outpost, from a dark and terrible prison to a splendid Renaissance residence that saw Michelangelo active within its walls, from a prison of the Risorgimento to the current museum.
The remains of the original mausoleum of Emperor Hadrian are clearly visible in the lower sections of the building. The large travertine blocks that cover the walls clearly show the holes of the metal staples that anchored the marble cladding of the Roman era.
The transformation of the building from a funerary monument to a fortified outpost began around 271 AD. when, under the emperor Aurelian, it was adapted to a fortress and became definitive in 403 with the inclusion of the building in the layout of the Aurelian walls.
It was Pope Nicholas V, around 1450, who provided the castle with a real apartment and, fifty years later, it was Pope Borgia who ordered the construction of a new, luxurious apartment, with gardens and fountains and decorated by Pinturicchio.
Starting from the 17th century, Castel Sant'Angelo seemed to gradually lose its role as a residence to become almost exclusively a prison; carbonari and patriots spent their days of imprisonment within these walls, at least until 20 September 1870, the year in which Rome was proclaimed the capital of the young Kingdom of Italy. Then, to make room for the wide avenues of the Lungotevere, two bastions of the pentagonal walls were demolished, the moats that ran around the building were filled in, some of the buildings of Pope Urban VIII were razed to the ground; furthermore, due to the contemporary raising of the street level, the height of the castle's façade was significantly reduced.
Entrance Hours
Tickets
Ticket prices (on-site): €16.00 full price, €2.00 reduced price for EU citizens aged 18 to 25
Free admission for minors under 18
Tickets are personal to everyone, and if the information provided does not match the ID, entry to the monument will not be permitted (in this case, no refund will be provided).
On the first Sunday of each month, admission is free for everyone and the ticket will be collected directly at the ticket office, without a reservation.
Groups and Schools
For groups of 10 to 25 people, reservations are required, as is the use of radio guides.
For school groups, the use of radio guides is not required, but reservations are required. It will be sufficient to present a list of students and accompanying adults, stamped and signed by the school.
Castel Sant'Angelo and the Sistine Chapel
Linked to the Vatican via the Passetto di Borgo, Castel Sant'Angelo is about 1 km from the Sistine Chapel and the Vatican Museums and can be easily reached via the great Via della Conciliazione or through Borgo Pio.
It is therefore natural to combine the visit of Castel Sant'Angelo with a tour of the Vatican Museums, the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter's Basilica to get to know the millennial history of the Vatican in depth.
Entrance to the Sistine Chapel and Vatican Museums + Castel Sant'Angelo entrance
Castel Sant'Angelo and St. Peter's Square Tour
