Castel Sant'Angelo

Castel Sant'Angelo stands on the west bank of the Tiber in Rome, a circular fortress whose history stretches from ancient mausoleum to papal stronghold. Built by Emperor Hadrian as a funerary monument and later converted into a castle by successive popes, it served for centuries as a refuge for the papacy in times of siege, connected to the Vatican by the elevated corridor known as the Passetto di Borgo. That narrow passageway, running along the old Leonine Wall, allowed popes to escape unseen during moments of crisis, and it remains one of the most atmospheric and rarely explored routes in the city.

Today the building operates as the Museo Nazionale di Castel Sant'Angelo, housing papal apartments, military collections, and panoramic terraces overlooking the Tiber and St Peter's Basilica. Visitors can explore the monument through skip-the-line tickets and guided tours, or join a dedicated guided tour of the Passetto di Borgo itself, tracing the secret passage that once linked two of Rome's most powerful institutions.