Jean-Pierre Dalbéra, Le mausolée d'Hadrien (132-139), 2011, Reconstruction Model. No changes made. CC BY 2.0
Originally commissioned in the 2nd century by Emperor Hadrian as a mausoleum for him and his family. Its cylindrical form sat atop a square base and possibly covered in greenery. Atop the building could have been a bronze statue of Emperor Hadrian. Positioned along the Tiber River, the massive structure symbolized imperial power.
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Radomil, Mauzoleum Hadriana, 2004, Photograph. No changes made. CC BY 3.0
During the Middle Ages, the mausoleum was transformed into a fortress and papal residence. The addition of battlements and defensive walls gave the structure a castle-like appearance. It gained religious significance after Pope Gregory I had a vision of the Archangel Michael atop the building, signaling the end of a plague. It was renamed Castel Sant’Angelo and became a military stronghold and later a museum.
