Castel Sant' Angelo (“The Castle of Angels”)

The fortress and prison where the the popes used to rest their heads

Word to the wise: You can enjoy magnificent views of the city from Pope Pius VI's gallery on the third floor.
Talk of the town: As a prison, the castle was the setting for Puccini's 'Tosca' where the female protagonist leaps to her death from the ramparts.

With its massive hulk of overlapping cylindrical structures, Castel Sant' Angelo is one of Rome's most recognisable monuments and looms large over the River Tiber. It was originally a mausoleum for Emperor Hadrian, but in the sixth century it was turned into a papal fortress and sometimes living quarters for the popes. The castle was named after a vision that Pope Gregory had in the year 590 where he saw an angel putting his sword in his sheath up on the citadel.
For three centuries it served time as a jail and among the illustrious figures to be kept under lock and key was Giordano Bruno, the Dominican friar who was eventually burnt at the stake. Today, visitors are free to come and go as they please as the building is now a national museum where you can see the papal living quarters, weapons, armour, furniture and beautiful frescoes.