Castel Sant'Angelo

Emperor Hadrian had the cylindrical mausoleum built between AD 134 and 139 for himself and his family, and for a time it was the tallest building in Rome. Its name comes from a legend: during the plague of 590, under Pope Gregory I, the Archangel Michael is said to have appeared on top of the mausoleum, sheathing his sword as a sign that the plague was over. A bronze angel by Peter Anton von Verschaffelt, from 1753, still crowns the castle.

The popes turned the tomb into a fortress. Pope Nicholas III built the Passetto di Borgo, a covered, fortified corridor linking the castle with the Vatican, and during the Sack of Rome in 1527 Pope Clement VII took refuge inside. The castle also served as a papal prison for figures such as Giordano Bruno and Benvenuto Cellini, and it is the setting of the third act of Puccini's opera Tosca. Today it is the National Museum of Castel Sant'Angelo, with papal apartments, ramparts and the terrace.

On Tiqets you can choose an entry ticket with an audio guide or an audio guide app, a skip-the-line ticket with a multimedia video or with a guided tour, and combinations with the Rome Pantheon or with the Passetto di Borgo. A guided tour of the Passetto on its own and a combination with a hop-on hop-off boat on the Tiber are also available.

Approach on foot across the Ponte Sant'Angelo, lined with angels designed by Bernini. The castle is a short walk from St Peter's Square, so it fits well before or after a visit to the Vatican; late afternoon light on the terrace is especially good.