Mausoleum of Hadrian (or Castel Sant'Angelo)

135-39 C. E. (and later additions)



This burial site, constructed for Hadrian, his family, and future emperors, is located near the Tiber River and was opposite the field of Mars. Like the tumulus built by Augustus before him, this structure is cylindrical (21 meters high and 64 meters in diameter); it rises above a square base. When it became a papal fortress in the 6th century, it was reconsecrated as Castel Sant'Angelo. Over the centuries it became increasingly fortified, with battlements added in the 11th century. After the Colosseum, it is the second largest building in ancient Rome.

Distant views

The structure has lost its marble facing and most of its decorative friezes.
 




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