Castel Sant' Angelo: Angels and Demons Experience

Step into the world behind Angels & Demons while an expert guide separates cinematic mystery from the real Roman and papal history of Castel Sant’Angelo.

Getting started

Meet your guide on Ponte Sant’Angelo at the end furthest from the castle. Arrive 10 to 15 minutes before the selected start time.

Ponte Sant’Angelo

What to expect

Begin on the ancient bridge that leads across the Tiber to Castel Sant’Angelo. Your guide introduces the monument’s layered history before leading you toward the castle.

• Angel sculptures: Examine the Baroque angels lining the bridge, created by Bernini and artists from his workshop, including Raggi and Morelli.

• Roman origins: Learn how the bridge was constructed to connect central Rome with Emperor Hadrian’s monumental tomb.

• Angels & Demons connection: Hear how the bridge and castle became part of the visual and narrative world associated with the mystery thriller.

Castel Sant’Angelo

What to expect

Enter through a fast-track channel and follow your guide through a building that evolved from an imperial mausoleum into a fortified papal refuge and prison.

• Hadrian’s mausoleum: Walk through the castle’s ancient core and learn why the Roman emperor commissioned the original monument as his family tomb.

• Fortified corridors: Follow defensive passageways while your guide explains how the mausoleum was adapted into a military stronghold.

• Former prisons: See cells linked to the castle’s darker years and hear stories of notable prisoners held within its walls.

• Papal apartments: Enter decorated chambers and frescoed rooms used when the castle served as a protected residence for popes.

• Passetto di Borgo: View the exterior of the fortified corridor connecting the castle and Vatican City while hearing stories of papal escapes. Entry to the passage is not included.

• Rooftop terrace: End on the seventh floor with panoramic views across Rome’s skyline and the dome of St. Peter’s Basilica.