Ponte Sant'Angelo
- Address:Ponte Sant'Angelo, Rome
- Admission:Free
11:26 PM Sunday, May 27
Clear. Mild.
7 day forecast »
Ponte Sant'Angelo is the bridge across the Tiber River leading from the centre of Rome to the Castel Sant'Angelo, once Hadrian's tomb, then home to the popes, now a museum. The bridge dates from 134 AD when Hadrian built it to lead to his mausoleum, calling it Pons Aelius or Bridge of Hadrian. But when word got out that the Archangel Michael landed on top of the mausoleum to end the plague in Rome in 590, the bridge and castle both changed their name to Sant'Angelo.
The most striking feature of the now pedestrian-only bridge are the ten statues of angels which line it. These were commissioned by Pope Clement IX in 1669 from the famous artist Bernini. Unfortunately Bernini only finished two himself and these were taken into the pope's own collection. Those on the bridge were actually made by other sculptors to Bernini's scheme.
Latest Reviews All Ponte Sant'Angelo Reviews »
loved it! I was a great way for us to get around Rome, with an informative tour at the same time. The crews on the buses were very helpful and nice.
Continue Reading »
Nice and as expected, a good way to get acclamated or re-united with the city or sites you've gone to Rome for.
Continue Reading »
This was an absolutely excellent tour and our tour guide was truly amazing and very dramatic. He brought so much of the story to life and then showed us the falacy of the book. Would definitely recommend.
Continue Reading »Practical Info
Pont Sant'Angelo is easy to reach by foot or taxi from the centre of Rome. It leads across the Tiber River to the Castel Sant'Angelo and from there it is an easy walk to St Peter's Basilica. In fact, the bridge has throughout history been used by pilgrims as an approach to St Peter's and even bore that name for a while.
