Castel Sant'Angelo

By Livioandronico2013 - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=37316339

The Castel Sant'Angelo was first created by Hadrian to serve as a mausoleum for him and his family. Later on in the Empire, the mausoleum was made part of the Aurelian walls, and converted into a military fortress. Towards the end of the Western Empire, the fortress was overrun in one of the many sacks of Rome, and most of the ashes of those buried within (including many emperors), as well as adornments, were scattered or stolen. The top half of a funerary jar that was said to hold Hadrian's ashes still exists, but has been moved to the Vatican. Speaking of which, the Papacy saw fit to convert the mausoleum into a full fledged castle with its own outer walls and courtyard. This makes it unique not only amongst tombs for serving a defensive purpose, but also amongst castles of the European tradition, as the keep of this one was composed of a circular rather than rectangular structure.

I love castles to death. In addition to being quite inspiring to look at, they are a monument to human stubbornness and refusal to die or surrender even in dire situations. Admittedly, I'm also quite attracted to the idea of having such a bastion to myself, these structures being the ultimate expressions of power, wealth, security, and nobility for much of post-Roman European history.  Additionally, many of them are completely and hilariously overdone, some Catalan specimens having walls thicker than classrooms. While this castle doesn't have any immediately ridiculous proportions, its unqique history and design make it a must-see for my visit to Rome, and for anyone who loves castles as much as I do.