Its appearance today is the result of a long series of
transformations that, in reality, have left no traces of the
glorious Roman "Hadrianeum", the mausoleum that Emperor Hadrian
built for himself and his successors. Indeed, we must try and
imagine an enormous cylinder positioned on a square plan, with a
garden top covered with tuff, travertine and copious trees.
In the centre, at the summit of the central tower, there was
probably a bronze statue of the Emperor in the guise of the Sun,
riding a quadriga. But in medieval times, the mausoleum changed its
function as an imperial tomb. Towers and defensive walls were
erected during the reign of the Emperor Aurelian and a defensive
bastion was built during the barbaric invasions.
By the Middle Ages, Castel Sant'Angelo had been transformed into
a practically unassailable fortress in a particularly strategic
position that defended the northern entrance of the city.
The popes also commissioned the construction of a covered
fortified corridor connected to the Vatican Palaces, which was to
be used in the event of danger as an extreme escape route. Castel
Sant'Angelo also guarded the riches of the popes: the treasury room
in the centre of the fort was a kind of safe for Rome during the
Renaissance. The castle was also used to store enormous reserves of
food, which were to be used in the event of an attack. There were
wineskins set in the walls, enormous water tanks, granaries and
even a mill.
However, in the past, Castel Sant'Angelo was sadly notorious for
functions of a much more grave nature. Its courtyards were the
scene of executions by decapitation and the heads of the condemned
were then hung for days along the bridge as a terrible warning.
In the small, damp and dark cells, the prisoners died of hunger
and thirst or due to terrible tortures. It was here that Benvenuto
Cellini, Cagliostro and Giordano Bruno were imprisoned before being
burnt on the stake in Campo dei Fiori square. Later, after the
establishment of the Italian State, the structure was turned into a
military barrack.
Today it is visited by tourists from all over the world and is
home to the National Museum of Castel Sant'Angelo. A very dear
landmark of the town is the statue of Archangel St. Michael, high
up on the enormous terrace, from which the castle takes its name.
It was created in memory of an ancient legend that speaks of the
terrible plague that struck Rome in 590 AD, which ended thanks to
the apparition of an angel that appeared above the castle and
conceded grace to the town when he sheathed his sword.
from "http://www.italyguides.it"
The Castel Sant'Angelo appeared in Dan Brown's novel "Angels and
Demons" and was the secret lair for the Hassassin and the last
existing church of the Illuminati.
The cache (updated 14/11/2009)
This is the FINAL version of the container, now back to its
original nano form (kudos to NFreitas for replacing it
(
). After the small cigarette case
SUp3rFM & Cruella so gently used to replace the original
nano container got stolen, as well as the film canisters The
Notoriously Gay Duo and v4d3r put afterwards, this cache won't
be reactivated if it disappears. As such (and because this is
a VERY busy area) please be very stealthy when removing the
cache - muggles are everywhere...
If you are unable to log the cache physically (either because
you haven't brought a pen or because the logbook is full) I ask you
to send me by email (do not put the photo in your log) a
picture of you at the spot holding the container in your hand.