Castel Sant’Angelo (Hadrian’s tomb) and Tomb of Augustus
As embarrassing as it is to say this, my introduction to Castel Sant’Angelo came not from visiting the site, but from this little movie called Angels and Demons. The conspiracy filled movie did manage to convince me of how remarkable this site since it is usually overlooked by what’s down the street. The bridge of Angels leading up to the Castel Sant’Angelo is nothing by awe inspiring, not only because it is positioned above the river, but also because you’re out in the open and you’re looking at this tomb, which his bizarre in a way, but the angels and all their different poses make you feel heavily guarded and safe. The fact that it functioned differently throughout history (mausoleum for Hadrian, fortress, Papal house, and museum) is also pretty impressive. At the top is a large statue of none other than Archangel Michael himself who apparently appeared and landed on the castle, ending the 590 AD plague the moment he put his sword back into its scabbard.
Another mausoleum, not too far from Hadrian’s, is the tomb of Augustus, which is one of the emperor’s first major building projects in Rome. It’s said to have been inspired by the mausoleum of Alexander the Great in Alexandria, Egypt. Due to the poor preservation of the building, it doesn’t look as grandeur as any of the sites we’ve discussed thus far. It is weird to say but the greenery surrounding the building from everywhere does make it look aesthetically pleasing in a way. The trees and vines bring the concrete and large limestone blocks to life. It was supposed to open for visitors spring of this year but sadly, that didn’t happen. Hopefully soon though…
