Walking Tour of Rome from Vatican

Castel Sant'Angelo

Castel Sant'Angelo is located in the heart of the city of Rome, on the banks of the river Tiber. It is close to the Vatican, so it became our first stop after we left the Vatican and had some lunch.

This Fortress was built as a mausoleum for the Emperor Hadrian (AD130-139), but it has also been a prison and a papal residence. It was used by former Popes seeking  protection in times of danger. There has been a covered passageway which still connects Castel Sant'Angelo to the Vatican. 

Via della Conciliazione (Road of the Conciliation) is the main street in Rome that runs from the Castel Sant'Angelo on the western bank of the Tiber River to Saint Peter's Square and Saint Peter's Basilica as seen in the distance.

The National Museum of Castel Sant'Angelo inside retraces its history. The castle has various exhibits ranging from Renaissance paintings and pottery to antique military weapons.  We didn't have time to view the interior of this fortress - perhaps on another visit we will.

The Sant'Angelo Bridge is one of the most famous bridges in Rome, built in the 239 AD. Many medieval pilgrims made their way to St. Peter's walking along this bridge to cross the Tiber at Ponte Sant'Angelo.

Several Bernini Angels line the bridge on either side. Nowadays, this is a pedestrian bridge which connects  the rioni (Roman districts) of Ponte and Borgo.

Angel with the Column (Throne)
Angel with the Whips
Angel with the Crown of Thorns
Angel with the Sudarium (Veronica’s Veil)
Angel with the Garment and Dice
Angel with the Nail
Angel with the Cross
Angel with the Superscription
Angel with the Sponge
Angel with the Lance

 More Photos:  Walking from Vatican Photo Album

 Palazzo di Giustizia 

(The Hall of Justice), Rome

Continuing our walk along the Tiber River, we came to another bridge that leads to the Supreme Court of Cassation (Italian: Corte Suprema di Cassazione) which is the major court of last resort in Italy.

From here we made our way to Piazza del Porto di Ripetta and continued from there to Piazza Navona (view photo album).

Additional photos can be found on our Facebook Albums.




Click on the image to the left for more Blog posts about this trip.

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