Castel Sant’Angelo - Rome (Italy)
Lazio See list of castles in Italia
Castel Sant'Angelo. The imposing Castel Sant'Angelo (Castle of the Holy Angel) is the only building that has followed the development of the city of Rome for about 2000 years, the other Roman monuments have had a different destiny as they were reduced to ruins or used as quarries to pick up materials to recycle in new, modern constructions.
During the centuries the Castel Sant’Angelo was subject to several transformation both from the architectural/structural point of view that the target of use: it was built in 123 AD as the tomb of the emperor Hadrian and its family; in the 403 it lost its native function and became a fortified military outpost in order to defend Rome; at the beginning of the XI century it has taken the role of State prison; then in the XIV century, after different changes of properties between the noble roman families, the Castel Sant’Angelo has tied its fate to that of the popes.
In the XIX century it took again the role of prison up to 1906 when it finally has became a museum, rich of charme and ready to share its historical baggage with the world.