This
castle started as a place of death, and eventually
found a role preserving life. Castel Sant'Angelo was
built as a tomb for Emperor Hadrian in 135. It continued
to be used as a mausoleum until sometime after 500
when it started being used as a fortress. The castle
occupies a strategic point on the Tiber River and
was considered the military key to Rome. More importantly,
it served as the first line of defense for attacks
against the Vatican. It is connected to the Vatican
by an tunnel called the Passetto. This was used during
the Sack of Rome in 1527 when the Pope fled the attackers
and hid inside the castle. By then it had been transformed
from a fortress into a papal retreat where pontiffs
sought refuge for 1,000 years. It was a pope that
gave the fortress it's current name. In 590 Gregory
the Great was leading a procession across the bridge
praying for an end to the plague when he had a vision.
It was an angel putting his sword away while standing
on stone ramparts. Touched by this vision, Gregory
ordered a stone statue to be placed on the castle.
That statue was replaced by a bronze one in 1753,
and it still stands there today, frozen in time. Inside,
it has been transformed into a museum. There are dungeons,
cannons, stone cannonballs, armor, and antique weapons.
The Papal Apartments resemble more art museum than
history museum, and are richly decorated. You can
even see the 16th century war chests the used to store
the Vatican's treasures in times of emergency. This
is also the location where, in Puccini's opera, Tosca
throws herself from the ramparts crying, "Scarpia,
avanti a Dio!" ("Scarpia, we meet before God!")
