Located on the right bank of the Tiber River, the Castel Sant’Angelo is one of the most intriguing buildings in all of Rome. It has a complex history and was initially built between 123 and 139 AD to be the mausoleum for Roman emperor Hadrian and his family. Converted into a papal fortress in the 6th century, it was named after Pope Gregory the Great had a vision of the Archangel Michael miraculously ending the plague that was running rampant through Rome. In the 13th century, a secret passageway, the Passetto di Borgo, to the Vatican was added so that popes in danger could escape to the thick, fortified walls of the castle. Most notably, during the 1527 sack of Rome, Pope Clemente VI took refuge here. Despite Castel Sant’Angelo’s turbulent history, today it serves as a museum where visitors can see beautifully appointed papal apartments, prison cells and torture chambers, Renaissance art, and some of the best views in Rome. By Chrysoula Manika from Travel Passionate - https://travelpassionate.com/5-days-in-rome-itinerary-first-time-visitors/