Castel Sant'Angelo, Rome


	Castel Sant'Angelo This unique battlemented structure was built in AD 135–139 as Hadrian's mausoleum and later made into a fortress in the 3rd century. Having shown its value as a stronghold during barbarian invasions, it was later put into service by the popes, who used its underground passageway as an escape hatch to the Vatican. Some of the ugliest crimes in Italian history took place here: Cesare Borgia imprisoned and tortured his enemies in the cells. Now an art exhibition space, the castle boasts one of the loveliest views of the city from its uppermost terrazzo. Opera buffs, it is from the ramparts of the Castel that Tosca falls to her death. Address: Lungotevere Castello 50 Rome Italy Telephone: +39 (6) 687-5036