On the way to the Vatican: St.. Angel (Castel Sant’ Angelo)
On the other side of the Tiber, right in front of the historic center of Rome, the Vatican is located, which in 1929 r. obtained the status of an independent state. To the west, this tiny territory is fenced off by a wall, while on the east side of the city, it opens its doors to residents and pilgrims in the form of St.. Peter and the square surrounded by columns. Basilica and part of the palace, where the Vatican museums are located is made available to the public and there are no formalities to enter.
In addition, it is also possible to visit the Vatican Gardens, but only with a guide. The guided tours take place every Tuesday from November to February, Thursday and Saturday Fr. 10.00 (8000 L); for the remainder of the year, from March to October, the gardens are visited either together with the Sistine Chapel (wt. and Thurs. 10.00; 16000 L) or the Basilica of St.. Peter (wt. i sb. 10.00; 8000 L). Vatican Information Office (pn.-sb. 9.00-12.00 i 14.00-17.00; • 6984466) provides all information and distributes brochures, detailed guides and postcards, which can be posted in one of the two post office counters on the square, to have the seal of the Vatican (and for the card to arrive faster, than via the snail Italian post).
You can also take part in the papal audience: they are held once a week, usually on Wednesdays Fr. 11.00 in the Audience Hall and these are definitely not small events. However, you can get a seat, if you report one month in advance at the most, but not later than two days before the scheduled date to Prefettura della Casa Pontifica, 00120 Vatican CITY (• 6982).
On the other side of the river: St.. Angel and St.. Peter
Going to the Vatican and St.. Peter, it is best to go through Ponte Sant'Angelo, with angels carved on both sides according to Bernini's design (so-called "volatile madmen"), next to which there is a line of stalls with antiquarian books. On the other side, there is a huge round block of St.. Angel (pn.-sb. 9.00-14.00, nd. 9.00-13.00; 3000 L), burial place of Emperor Hadrian, and in later times the main fortress of the papal city. Designed by Hadrian himself, the mausoleum was a magnificent monument in white marble, surrounded by statues and crowned with cypresses yes, to create a "black pyramid escaping towards the sky". In the 6th century. the construction changed its name, for Pope Gregory the Great had a vision of Saint Michael the Archangel here, which ended the terrible plague. The imposing fortifications and the favorable location of the castle did not escape the attention of the papal authorities afterwards, which turned the building into a fortress and built a passage, linking it with the Vatican, so that you can take refuge here in case of an invasion. The crossing was used several times, m.in. w 1527 r., when Clement VII took refuge here during the invasion of the imperial troops. To this day, just in case, a papal apartment is kept here. Swords can be seen in some castle halls, armor or firearms, others are decorated with grotesques and pictures, and the dungeons and pantries in the basement testify to the castle's past as the most formidable Renaissance prison - Benvenuto Cellini and Cesare Borgia are just two famous figures held here. The official papal apartments upstairs (entrance from the terrace) They are extravagantly decorated with frescoes depicting Michael hiding his sword in its scabbard and lascivious friezes from naked bodies in ludic poses, as well as paintings by Poussin, Jordaens and others.
The military is still tempted by the Castle of St.. Angel and would like to transform it into a museum of post-unification history, but for the time being the building remains papal property. Also the vicinity of the castle, BORGO, towards Monte Mario, once belonged to the Pope, but it was incorporated into the city at the end of the 16th century. The prefix "Borgo" still appears in the naves of many streets, which reflects the fact, that the Saxons once settled here - Borgo is a mutation of the word "burh". These former inhabitants are also remembered by the old hospital and the Church of Santo Spirito in Sassia in via di Penitenzieri. The church was founded in 726 r. by the Saxon population and rebuilt in the 16th century. by Antonio di Sangallo the Younger.
The route from here to St.. Peter, via della Conciliazione, disappoints: As usual, Mussolini demolished the houses on the previously narrow street and built a wide avenue, therefore St.. Peter seems too close. Only after entering its area, the enormous space of the square designed by Bernini becomes obvious - and the people sitting on the steps of the basilica (removed from time to time by overzealous guards) they are just spots on the horizon. In keeping with the spirit of the Baroque, the church was to be even more obscured than it is today: Bernini intended to connect two rows of columns with a triumphal arch, so that the basilica can be seen only up close, but the plan has not been implemented and the arms of the square remain open, symbolically inviting the world to the bosom of the Catholic Church. The obelisk in the center of the square was brought to Rome in 36 r. n.e. by Caligula and for many years stood on Circus Nero on the Vatican Hill (to the left of the church); according to some theories, it marked the place of the martyrdom of St.. Peter. He was moved to the square in 1586 r.: Sixtus V ordered it to be placed in front of the basilica, which was done in four months in complete silence, under penalty of death. The fountains on both sides are the work of Carlo Moderno (laws) and Bernini.