Sant’Angelo Castle: Rome (Italy) #6
The Castel Sant’Angelo isn’t that far from the Vatican, but it took us an eternity to get there.
Part 1: Travel Diary
Part 2: Practical Tips
Part 1: Travel Diary
From our Airbnb, we choose to walk to the Castel Sant’Angelo, hoping to discover a little bit of Rome. Finally, we just walk along the river banks, which look strangely similar to Paris. We have lunch at the Ristorante Porta Castello, it’s nice, affordable without being gastronomic, it’s a good choice if you want to avoid the tourist restaurants of the area.
We don’t realize it, but we are really close to the Vatican.
You can see St. Peter’s Basilica in the distance as you walk towards the castle.
Saint-Ange Castle
The castle is located on the former mausoleum of Hadrian. In fact, one can still see inside where the emperor’s tomb must have been located. The building was soon used for military purposes, then transformed into a political prison, then into a fortress to defend the Vatican, there are former apartments of the popes here and there. This makes the structure quite difficult to understand.
The name of the castle comes from a vision of Pope Gregory I, who attributes to the archangel Michael the end of the great plague of 590. The bridge opposite also bears the name of the archangel. It is the most beautiful bridge in Rome, I think
Access costs 15€/person. There are so many people that even with the Covid measurements, tickets can still be bought on the spot whereas normally it is better to book several days in advance.
Fortunately, the tour route is marked with arrows because it is a maze, the architecture changes completely from one place to another, it is easy to get lost.
The marble statue of the Archangel Michael was soon found in a courtyard next to the apartments of the former popes. This statue was at the very top of the building but it has been replaced by another one, which we will see later
As the Vatican isn’t far away, we have very satisfying views of the city and especially St. Peter’s Basilica.
I see these huge trees everywhere in Rome, I love them very much!
This room is an old library if I am not mistaken. I always marvel at these ultra-charged Italian ceilings and ultra-decorated walls.
We finally arrive at the terrace where we have a 270°C view of Rome. I think that the building itself has nothing extraordinary, but this view !!! From here, we can see the wall connecting the castle to the Vatican, thus delimiting the “Leonine city”.
Here is the bronze statue of the archangel, which dominates the surroundings.
We then visit the former pontifical apartments. The trompe-l’oeil remain excellent, as do the ceilings. It is much less ostentatious than in the Vatican museums but the style is the same.
The visit ends here. Frankly, 15€ is too much compared to what we saw. The Vatican Museums, 10 times more furnished, cost “only” 17€. For me, it’s a non-essential visit. Visiting the outside is more than enough. There are other places in Rome where you can see the city from above without paying a penny (for example the Belvedere del Gianicolo)
When leaving the castle, we take the wrong way and have to go all the way around to get out 🙂 we are still in an old fortress so it wasn’t easy to make our way when we are surrounded by a moat. So at the exit, go on the right right now 😀
The Supreme Court
Walking towards our favorite glacier La Romana, we bypass the Corte Suprema di Cassazione (Supreme Court), an incredibly beautiful and imposing building. It takes us long minutes to cross it.
Wine cellar & other delicacies
Right in front of the Supreme Court is an incredible wine cellar. The door is very small but in the basement there is a huge unsuspected wine cellar with all the wines from all the regions of Italy. There is even French champagne if needed. This cellar is called Enoteca Costantini (thanks Dominique for the discovery)
Next door is my favorite French restaurant Le Carré Français, I usually go there once a week for their French beef tartare with mashed potatoes to fall.
Of course, we will always finish with a delicious ice cream at La Romana (which JB talked about here)
By following this itinerary, you will make a nice little walk
Our next article in Rome is here
Part 2: Practical Tips
Budget
- Access: 15€/person at Château Saint-Ange (not worth it, it’s better to look just outside)
- Restaurant Le Carré Français : about 23€/person
- Wine cellar: between 15€ and 170€ per bottle (it varies a lot)
- Ice cream : from 2,5€
For excursions or guided tours in Rome, check out the activities offered by Civitatis or Viator (a Tripadvisor company)Did
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A short walk is recommended:
You will find the addresses & places mentioned in this article on the personalized Google Maps I made with my sister for Italy here.
