Photographs of the Bridges
Ponte Sant'Angelo, Rome, Italy
The Castel Sant’Angelo, in Rome, was built in the second century as a mausoleum for Emperor Hadrian, and the bridge of the same name was constructed shortly after, in the year AD 134, to provide a grand approach to the mausoleum. The Castel was the site of a miracle in the seventh century, when Pope Gregory I witnessed an angel appearing on the roof to announce the end of a plague that was ravaging Rome. Following that incident, the name of “Sant’Angelo” was given to the Castel and bridge.
The bridge has been amply decorated with amazing statues. The earliest statues, those of St. Peter and St. Paul, were funded by tolls on the bridge and were installed in 1535. In 1669, ten statues of angels designed by Bernini were added. In these statues, each angel holds an instrument of the Passion, such as the Holy Lance or the Crown of Thorns. The statues now present are a mix of some originals and some replacements, with the other originals located in museums in the city. Now reserved for pedestrian traffic only, the bridge is thronged with tourists and hawkers of souvenirs, and definitely worth visiting to see the angels.
I provided a detailed description of the bridge, and its setting near the Castel and St. Peter’s Basilica, in Chapter 4 of my book, Bridgespotting: A Guide to Bridges that Connect People, Places, and Times.
