National Museum of Saint Angel Castle
Vaticano, Prati
- Location: National Museum of Saint Angel Castle
- Address: Lungotevere Castello 50
- E-Ticketing WWW: http://www.gebart.it/
- E-Mail: pm-laz@beniculturali.it
- Phone#: +39 06 32810
- Booking phone#: +39 06 6896003
- Opening: Everyday from 9am to 7.30pm.
- Price: full € 10, reduced € 6
- Transportation: Metro: line A, station Lepanto or station Ottaviano-San Pietro.
Bus: lines 62, 23, 271, 982, 280, 40, 34, 49, 87, 926, 990, 64, 46 - Visit lasts: 1 hour (about)
- Services:
The museum is housed in the enormous mausoleum of Emperor Hadrian, inaugurated by Antonino Pio (built 128-139 A.D.). Originally it was built upon a square base upon which was an enormous cylindrical block decorated with pilasters, then mounted by an even higher tower with a statue of Hadrian. Thanks to being so close to the Vatican, it has served as a papal risalit since the Middle Ages and during the Renaissance it became a papal residence thanks to Paul III. After the unification of Italy, restoration began (1886-87) and from being a military prison and barracks it became an exhibition hall for the Retrospective of 1911 and then a permanent museum.
THINGS TO KNOW: The name of Castel Sant’Angelo comes from the legend that during a procession for the plague of 590 A.D., Gregorio Magno looked at the top of Hadrian's mausoleum and saw Archangel Saint Michael put away his sword, signalling the end of the plague that was torturing the city.
