Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Castel Sant'Angelo

(This picture above is a stock image from the internet, but allows you to see the Castel from a distance. I didn't take one from this vantage point.)

On a recommendation from our doctor, we made a to visit Castel Sant'Angelo. For years this fortress guarded the Vatican and is linked to it by an arcaded passageway, as noted in Dan Brown's book, Angels and Demons. We loved this place! It got its name during the great plague of 590, when Pope Gregory the Great passed by in a procession and had a vision of an angel sheathing its sword atop the ramparts. I wonder how closely his vision was met? 





This fortress is full of ramps and steep inclines, which dump you out on the top floor, affording stunning views of the city.
In the picture below, on the lower left, you can see the arcaded passageway to the Vatican. The dome at the far left is St. Peter's.




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