Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
the 6th century and named after an angelic vision that Pope Gregory the Great had in 590.
Nowadays, it houses an eclectic collection of paintings, sculpture, military memorabilia
and medieval firearms.
Many of these weapons were used by soldiers fighting to protect the castle, which,
thanks to a secret 13th-century passageway to the Vatican (the Passetto di Borgo),
provided sanctuary to many popes in times of danger. Most famously, Pope Clemente VI
holed up here during the 1527 sack of Rome.
The castle's upper floors are filled with lavishly decorated Renaissance interiors, in-
cluding, on the 4th floor, the beautifully frescoed Sala Paolina. Two storeys further up, the
terrace, immortalised by Puccini in his opera
Tosca
, offers great views over Rome.
Additional fees may be charged during temporary exhibitions.
PONTE SANT'ANGELO
( Piazza Pia)
The emperor Hadrian built the Ponte Sant'Angelo in 136 to provide an ap-
proach to his mausoleum, but it was Bernini who brought it to life with his angel sculp-
tures in the 17th century. The three central arches of the bridge are part of the original
structure; the end arches were restored and enlarged in 1892-94 during the construction of
the Lungotevere embankments.
BRIDGE
COMPLESSO MONUMENTALE SANTO SPIRITO IN SAXIA
( 06 6835 2433;
www.giubilarte.it
; Borgo Santo Spirito 1; Lungotevere in Sassia)
Originally an 8th-
century lodging for Saxon pilgrims, this ancient hospital complex was established by Pope
Innocent III in the late 12th century. Three hundred years later Sixtus IV added an octa-
gonal courtyard and two vast frescoed halls, known collectively as the Corsia Sistina
(Sistine Ward).
The complex is currently undergoing restoration and guided visits have been indefin-
itely suspended.
HISTORIC BUILDING
MUSEO STORICO NAZIONALE DELL'ARTE SANITARIA
MUSEUM
( 06 689 30 51; Lungotevere in Sassia 3; group visits only, admission €7; by reservation; Lungotevere in
Sassia)
Next to the Pronto Soccorso department of the Ospedale Santo Spirito, this medical
museum has a ghoulish collection of surgical instruments, macabre curiosities and ana-
tomical models.
