We walked from St. Peter's Square to Castel Sant'Angelo. Looking back at St. Peter's Basilica from Via della Conciliazione, we were amazed by the color of the sky. It was insanely beautiful.
We took some pictures of St. Peter's and Castel Sant'Angelo from the bridge Ponte Sant'Angelo. This bridge in front of the castle is a great photo op spot you shouldn't miss. You can see MIchelangelo's majestic dome behind the river Tiber from here.
Castel Sant'Angelo was commissioned by Roman Emperor Hadrian in 123AD. The castle got its present name much later due to a legend. The story goes the Archangel Michael appeared at the top of the building, shearing his sword as a sign of the end of plague in 590.
Since the 14th century, the popes converted the structure into a castle. It was a safe place for popes during time of political turmoil. A corridor linking it with the Vatican Palace provided an escape route for the pope. The stone columns from the tomb of Hadrian were taken away from the castle to decorate St. Peter's. Unfortunately, destroying a historical building was tolerated during those days. Castel Sant'Angelo is just one of the ruined temples. Had those ancient sites not been devastated, we would have more authentic heritage buildings from Roman era to study today. Castel Sant'Angelo is now a museum.
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