Popes, emperors and the Tiber
A walk around one of Rome’s most layered monuments and through the district between the Tiber and the Vatican.
Photo: Quentin Lowagie (Klow) / Wikimedia Commons · license CC BY 4.0
Tours from €100 per group
Originally built as a mausoleum for Emperor Hadrian, Castel Sant’Angelo underwent successive transformations and became connected with the city’s defence and papal history. Seen from outside, it offers a clear story of how Rome reused and reinterpreted its monuments.
The Borgo district lies between the river and the Vatican. Sant’Angelo Bridge, its statues and the surrounding streets naturally continue the castle’s story. The area’s architecture and location help explain its role in the history of the city.
This experience connects the remains of imperial Rome with the medieval city and papal presence. It offers a way to understand how different eras came to overlap in the same urban landscape.
