Castel Sant’Angelo: A Turbulent Tale of Angels and Demons

Dan Brown’s book, “Angels and Demons” flashed through my mind as I crossed the Ponte Sant’Angelo one morning in Rome. Ten Baroque statues of angels line the bridge, each bearing a symbol of the suffering and death of Christ. Designed by Bernini in the early 17th century, they look down demurely at passersby from their travertine marble perches. They feel like a silent presence, outwardly still but internally watchful.

Angel on the Ponte Sant’Angelo

Castel Sant’Angelo awaits at the end of the bridge. Reminding me of a cross between a king’s crown and a wedding cake, it stands majestically among the monuments of Rome. Packed with history, it has been here for 2,000 years. Emperor Hadrian had this huge cylinder, built in 139 AD, as a mausoleum for himself and his family. However, for nearly 100 years after Hadrian’s death, it continued as the burial grounds for succeeding emperors as well, ending with Caracalla 217 AD.

Over the past 2,000 years, Castel Sant’Angelo has been more than a funerary monument. It was used as a fortified outpost, a notorious prison complete with a torture chamber, a palace for the popes embellished with Renaissance art, the keep of the Vatican treasury and finally a museum.

Model of Hadrian’s Mausoleum

What I discovered as I toured the fortress, now the Museo Nazionale di Castel Sant’Angelo, fascinated me. At the time of Hadrian, the mausoleum was topped by a garden of Cypress trees and crowned by a golden quadriga, a huge statue of him riding a chariot. It was the tallest building in Rome.

In ancient Rome, tombs were not allowed inside the city limits. This pertained to the emperors as well, even though they were looked upon as gods. So Hadrian chose a commanding position just outside the city walls and across the river. Even today, it holds a stately presence among the many monuments of Rome.

It helps to get a bit organized so I’ve included a brief overview of the 6 levels of Castel Sant’Angelo:

Level 1- Begins the winding Roman construction ramp, the Courtyard of the Shooting and the Chapel of the Condemned.

Level 2- Hall of Urns, former prisons, and storerooms

Level 3- Military displays, papal apartments, the courtyard of the angel (Cortile dell’Angel), which houses the former archangel, Hall of Justice

Level 4- Exquisitely decorated papal apartment with sumptuous frescoes by artists of the school of Raphael (Luca Signorelli, Carlo Crivelli), archaeological gallery, historic Armory.

Level 5- Treasury, Library

Level 6- The Angel Terrace providing amazing views of Rome, especially the Vatican and St. Peters Basilica

A look at Castel Sant’Angelo and the Passetto di Borgo ( the pope’s secret escape). Drawing by Ludovico Bisi, from “Short visit to Castel Sant’Angelo.” Photo courtesy of National Museum of Castel Sant’Angelo.

Upon entering, an old cobbled road winds around the base. This fortress has a lot of stairs. One leads down to the original Roman floor and follows the route of Hadrian’s funeral procession. There is a bridge that crosses the room where the ashes of the emperors were kept. The urns and ashes were scattered by Visigoth looters during a sacking of Rome in 410.

Inside the Treasury

The Sala del Tesoro is the treasury where the Vatican wealth was kept locked up in a huge chest. The rooms are ornately decorated with rich frescoes and marble.

The former angel used to crown the top is now kept in a courtyard, called Cortile dell’Angelo

The Passetto di Borgo is intriguing in itself and historically fascinating. You have probably heard of an elevated fortified corridor commissioned in 1277 AD by Pope Nicholas III leading from Vatican City to the Castel Sant’Angelo (thanks to Dan Brown). The passage served as an escape route to the Castle for popes during times of war and sackings.

The ‘Passetto di Borgo’ runs along the top from the Vatican to Castel Sant’Angelo. All three photos courtesy of National Museum of Castel Sant’Angelo

Inside the pope’s passageway

Yellow line indicating the route of the passageway from Castel Sant’Angelo to Vatican City

Enjoy a gallery of photos from my day spent inside this massive fortress. It would take a book to explain everything. One of several things that impressed me was the circular walkways leading up and down within. Wide and tall, they were lit with the golden light from wall lamps. Effectively mysterious…

The Angel Terrace offers dazzling views of Rome from several directions. The wind was gusty so walking from one end to the other for a view was slightly challenging.

Angel’s Terrace

It’s from here you can get up close to the majestic Archangel Michael, who stands on the very top. As I gazed up into his face, I had no doubt that he means business.

So what’s the deal about the angel Michael? As the story goes, in the year 590, the Archangel Michael appeared above the mausoleum to Pope Gregory. The angel sheathed his sword, and the pope took it as a sign that the plague was ended. It soon became a fortified palace renamed the castle of the holy angel.

Close beside the Archangel Michael is a large bell, called the Bell of Mercy. Beginning in the mid-1700’s it was wrung to inform the people of capital executions of the prisoners while a prison.

As the grand finale, enjoy some views of Rome taken from the Angel’s Terrace 

St. Peters Basilica

Zoomed in on Rome! Can you figure out some of the monuments?

**Resources used are from the National Museum of Castel Sant’Angelo**

Gallipoli, Puglia’s Scenic Seaside Village

Way down south in the heel of the boot that is Puglia lies the old baroque-inspired seaside village of Gallipoli. Surrounded by the Ionian Sea on the Salentina Peninsula, Gallipoli sits quietly under the warmth of the sun. Tourists are relatively few among the labyrinthine weave of narrow streets that eventually lead to the spacious waterfront promenade. But those who do know Gallipoli understand its enticing attributes that lure them back time and again.

Sunlight dances off the transparent waters that expand outward from long sandy beaches. Waterfront restaurants offer delicious fresh-caught seafood prepared in a way that heightens the natural tender and sensational tastes.

Gallipoli has a large seafood market that offers everything locally caught. Eels, prawns, lobster, swordfish,urchins, mussels and various fish varieties fill the bins. Local chefs are known to visit the market twice a day to purchase the freshest seafood they can find for their restaurants.

Streets and alleys lead inward from the waterfront and wind about in a maze-like formation. While visiting recently with Lecce based YLTours and Victoria Di Maio, we each went our separate ways for a few hours to see what we could find. But just as “all roads lead to Rome,” so it is true that all roads lead to the waterfront (eventually) in Gallipoli.

 

Throughout Gallipoli, there are accents of baroque architecture, like the white sculpted decor over the doorway below. Laundry is hung out everywhere and doesn’t take long to dry in this warm climate.

More baroque influences are evident in the balcony as well as around the doorway. And of course, Italy wouldn’t be Italy without its parade of parked motorbikes.

Shops sell everything from local shells to handmade goods by local artisans.

This shop has a local artisan sitting at the front who stays busy embroidering towels, aprons, bibs, and pot holders at the customers request.

I could hear lots of loud ‘man talk’ coming out of this barber shop as I passed by.

All of the buildings are white and cream in color which makes bright green palms stand out dramatically. I discovered how easy and fun it is to get caught up in the flow of shoppers.

 

Gallipoli means “beautiful city.” The long sandy beaches and warm ocean waters are an islander’s paradise. With so much surrounding beauty, Gallipoli offers the perfect place to rest and rejuvenate.

Caravaggio, An Artist Shrouded in Mystery

How could the Beauty of Art and the Darkness of Life dwell within a single person? Who was this man gifted with heavenly talent that chose to walk the dark earthy streets of night?

“All works, no matter what or by whom painted, are nothing but bagatelles and childish trifles… unless they are made and painted from life, and there can be nothing… better than to follow nature.”                                       

                                                                                         Caravaggio

Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio lived a brief and tumultuous life as a great Italian painter. Born September 29, 1571 in Milan, he trained as a painter under Simone Peterzano, who in turn trained under the famous painter Titian. Caravaggio became active as a painter in Rome, Naples, Malta and Sicily from 1592 until his death in 1610. He produced masterpieces of astonishing complexity and power, advancing the Baroque style to include portrayals of real people of the streets surrounded by stark emotional truth.

The Conversion of St. Paul on the road to Damascus–Cerasi Chapel of Santa Maria del Popolo, Rome

Ominous, obscure and gloomy–these are words that describe Caravaggio’s dark paintings. Radical by nature, his revolutionary art reflected chiaroscuro in an extreme form. His dramatic, theatrical use of the shift from light to dark became known as Tenebrism. As a result, he took Rome by storm in 1600 with his depictions of the Martyrdom of Saint Matthew and the Calling of Saint Matthew. Beyond this point, he had more commissions from patrons then he could handle. Unfortunately, he squandered his success. He fled Rome in 1606, after he was involved in a brawl in which he killed a man.

I used to be disturbed by Caravaggio’s paintings until I got to know who he was. A man of the streets, whose short life was shadowed by mystery and intrigue, Caravaggio was constantly in trouble with the law. Over his lifetime, he vandalized his own apartment, spent time in jail on several occurrences, and eventually had a death warrant circulated on him by the Pope.

Inspiration of St. Matthew–San Lugi dei Frances, Rome

Caravaggio’s death remains an unsolved mystery to this day. For such a dramatic individual, it’s fitting for him that his departure would be obscure. What we do know is that he was en route by boat from Naples to Rome in hopes of receiving a pardon by the Pope. Beyond this point nothing is for certain.

On July 28th of 1610, an anonymous newsletter from Rome arrived at the ducal court of Urbino announcing the death of Caravaggio. A few days later another newsletter claimed he died of fever. A recent researcher claims to have found a death notice that Caravaggio had died of fever near Grosetto in Tuscany. In 2010 human remains in the same area are said to be 85% likely to be Caravaggio’s after testing his DNA, using carbon dating and other analysis.

His death at the age of 38 include theories such as malaria, intestinal infection, murder, and lead poisoning, all considered possible causes of death.  Paints during his time contained high amounts of lead salts which can cause violent behavior such as Caravaggio displayed throughout his lifetime.

Could he have been killed in cold blood by the Knights of Malta to avenge an attack on one of their members?  According to Professor Vincenzo Pacelli, Italian historian and expert on Caravaggio, the order hunted him down because he had seriously wounded a knight. To back up his theory, Pacelli discovered documents from the Vatican Secret Archives and from archives in Rome suggesting the Knights of Malta had murdered Caravaggio and threw his body in the sea at Palo, north of Rome.

The Knights of Malta were an order founded in the 11th century to protect Christians in the Holy Land. Caravaggio was actually made a member of the order but, by 1608, he was in prison, probably for wounding a knight. He was expelled from the order and put in a castle dungeon. However, his release from the dungeon remains baffling.

Controversy still exists over this theory. Dr. John T. Spike, a Caravaggio expert at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, remains sceptical. He believes that if the knights had wanted him dead, they had many opportunities to kill him sooner. Dr. Spike thinks the artist was likely killed in a brawl and his body dumped, which would explain the lack of an existing death certificate.

Caravaggio created several self-portraits, including Salome with the Head of John the Baptist, depicting his own head on the platter, and David with the Head of Goliath, again showing his own head as that of the giant’s.

Caravaggio’s masterpieces, although dark, are fantastic. He employs theatrical drama and sinister shadows to intrigue and draw one in. He has a statement to make, and there is no mistaking what he intends to communicate. Like a beautiful web, you find yourself transfixed. There is no one like him. His art is unmistakable.

Rome offers several walking tours that explore the art of Caravaggio which are displayed throughout the city. Walks Inside Rome has designed a tour called Caravaggio in Rome intended to discover the many locations in Rome where Caravaggio’s artwork can still be seen. Included in the tour are San Luigi dei Francesi with the three paintings devoted to the Story of St. Matthew, followed by  San Agostino and the Madonna of Loreito. The Villa Borghese also hosts some of Caravaggio’s finest masterpieces dating across his entire career.

Caravaggio Art Walking Tour of Rome with Wine Tasting is an alternative tour that ends with a social time of wines and appetizers at a local wine bar.

Related Articles:

* Caravaggio Video of Artworks

* Caravarrio, Michelangelo Merisi da

* Caravaggio Tour-paintings, museums, churches and art history

* Caravaggio Art Walking Tour of Rome with Wine Tasting