Thanks to the opening of areas previously closed to the public, the visit of Castel Sant’Angelo is now longer and more complete, turning into a trip through Rome’s history.
One of the most popular sights in Italy, with approximately 1.2 million visitors a year, Castel Sant’Angelo is one of Rome’s most iconic monuments. It was built by emperor Hadrian in the second century as a mausoleum for himself and his family (in fact it also goes by the name of Mausoleum of Hadrian). Through the centuries, it underwent a series of transformations, from monumental tomb to inaccessible fortress, from prison and torture chamber to papal residence in the Renaissance, from military barracks to national museum.
The new itinerary leads visitors into Hadrian’s burial chamber, following in the footsteps of the procession that carried the emperor’s ashes; up the monument’s walls; into the papal apartments; inside Cagliostro’s prison; all the way to the spectacular Terrazza dell’Angelo (Angel Terrace); exiting, for the first time, through the monumental portal built by the Sienese architect Giovanni Sallustio Peruzzi, son of the most famous Baldassarre. In addition, visitors will be able to see three rooms, known as the Cambellotti Rooms, painted by one of the most renowned Liberty-era artists, Duilio Cambellotti.
A new smartphone app available in seven languages (including English), downloadable when you buy the entrance ticket, is intended to enhance the visitor’s experience: a series of eBeacons, installed along the itinerary, communicate with visitors through the app, providing relevant audio and multimedia content as they visit the castle.
Castel Sant’Angelo also offers daily guided visits, in Italian and English, called ‘Castello Segreto’ (Secret Castle), which gives visitors the chance to access the famous Passetto di Borgo, the elevated passageway connecting Castel Sant’Angelo with the Vatican; the historic prisons; the ‘Olearie’, rooms once used for food storage; the courtyard of Leone X; and Pope Clement VII’s bathroom, known as ‘stufetta’, graced by Raphael’s frescoes.
Castel Sant’Angelo is open every day, 9 am to 7:30 pm.
*Summer extended hours: starting June 24, until September 17, Castel Sant’Angelo will be open until midnight Thursday to Sunday.
