jere7my | Suck on this, Augustus (Reply)

Sunday, June 28 - Rome

Remember Augustus's mausoleum from the last post? Good-sized tomb, sure, but a hundred years later Hadrian said "Piffle!" and built a mausoleum that was so big it went on to be used as a fortress (5th-6th centuries) and a castle (14th-19th centuries). Moreover, he built it on the opposite bank of the Tiber, within sight of Augustus's little rockpile, just because he could. Today, it's called the Castel Sant'Angelo — that winged fellow on top is the Archangel Michael, who (they say) appeared atop the fortress in 590 and sheathed his sword to signal the end of the plague.

Like every other ancient structure in Rome, Castel Sant'Angelo is home to a museum now. Unfortunately, photography was forbidden inside the museum proper, so I can't show you the flintlocks and military uniforms and opulent libraries; you're stuck with the fortress itself. Which is still pretty cool, though we spent a good third of our visit circling around and around it, following the complicated multi-layer overlay map in an ultimately fruitless effort to reach the upper levels. (They were closed for restoration.)

On our way in, we saw this film crew, engaged in panning quickly up from this woman's high heels as she strode away. Perhaps a commercial? For all we know, she is famous in Italy. They had to keep re-shooting, as tourists (not us!) kept stumbling into their shot.

The entrance stairs make it obvious why someone thought this would make a great fortress. This sign along the route is the most audacious buck-passing I've ever seen:

In one of the courtyards was this lovely old ballista. There was a broad spectrum of decor, from medieval military, like this smithy:

...to this delicate Pompeiian replica fresco:

This marble Michael with the intriguing metal wings stood on top of the fortress until 1753, when he was replaced by the bronze one up there now. There are plenty of other angels to be found in the area....

The bridge leading to the fortress is called, shockingly, the Ponte Sant'Angelo (formerly the Pons Aelius), and it's lined with angels holding symbols of the Passion. This one carries the sponge and the vinegar.

This one used to hold the nails, but they were stolen in the last few years. Now he just waves and says, "Hey, folks, good to see ya. I've got a bird pooping on my head. Enjoy!"

"Okay, let's see. How to Repair a Broken Sword, chapter one."