Above to the heavens and below to the ancient city. A day of contrasts!
Today we began our explorations at Hadrian’s castle, whose original structure was an ancient Roman tumulus built as a mausoleum to the emperor, Hadrian. Built right on the Tiber River and directly downhill from Mons Vaticanus, this monumental structure became the perfect foundation for the fortress of the later popes. A passetto, or passageway, was built connecting St. Peter’s Basilica to the Castel Sant’Angelo as it was renamed, in honor of the Archangel Michael who graces its roof. A moat surrounds it, oft flooded by the Tiber under times of siege!
From here, we made our way to St. Peter’s Square. Not part of the original ancient city, this area, its own sovereign nation, has been important for religious and political reasons for 1700 years.
Finally, we have one last night in the ancient city’s Campus Martius, as we sojourn right in the Piazza of the Pantheon, my favorite of all of Rome’s treasures. A new old find is the 2014 excavation site at the Stadium of Domitian, located underground below the bustling Piazza Navona.
Magistra et Filius 