Online Encyclopedia
Castel Sant'Angelo
The Castel Sant'Angelo is a building in Rome with a long and chequered past. Originally it was built under the Roman Empire in the 2nd century by emperor Hadrian as a funerary monument.
In the Middle Ages it was converted into a major fortification, although most of the original Roman structure was preserved. Pope Nicholas III connected the castle to St. Peter's Basilica by a covered corridor called Passetto di Borgo .
The castle was involved in numerous sieges, including that of Pope Clement VII by the forces of the Holy Roman Empire, in 1527, in which Benvenuto Cellini was a participant.
Sant'Angelo also served as a prison. One of its prisoners was Giordano Bruno, who had been imprisoned here for 6 years.
Now the castle is a museum.
Last updated: 10-30-2004 11:46:29