Castel Sant'Angelo
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Due to its unique features, Castel Sant’Angelo can be considered a monument, an archaeological area and a museum at the same time. The building has had an extremely varied use during its complex history: after being erected as an imperial mausoleum, it later became a fortified residence, prison and, finally, a monument-museum.
Built in the second century AD by the Roman emperor Hadrian as a funeral mausoleum for himself and his family, the monument – known here as Mole Adriana – was later included in the city walls of Rome and transformed into a sort of fortress for defending the city, acquiring the epithet of castellum. In the early mediaeval period, it also took on the name of sancti Angeli thanks to a legend, according to which, in 590, Pope Gregory the Great had a vision of the archangel Michael here, who sheathed his sword, symbolising the end of the plague that afflicted the city.
Its proximity to San Pietro, its strategic position, its closed interiors and its imposing size made Castel Sant’Angelo the centre of political interests. Its fate was inseparably linked to that of the Church when the keys of the building were handed over to Pope Urban V in 1367, to urge him to return to Rome from exile in Avignon.
Since then, numerous architectural interventions have been carried out with the aim of strengthening its defensive structure on the one hand, with the construction of the ramparts and the pentagonal wall, and, on the other, to make it an increasingly magnificent papal residence, reaching the peak of its splendour under Paul III Farnese (1534-1549).
Starting in the seventeenth century, Castel Sant’Angelo gradually lost its role as a papal residence and became almost exclusively a political prison. After being included in the Italian State property in 1870 as a military prison and barracks, it became a National Museum in 1925. At that time, extensive works had already begun to reorganise and restore the site, acquire works and collections and set up various rooms.
Opening times
*Last admission at 18:30
Closed
on Mondays, 25 December and 1 January (except for extraordinary openings planned by the MiC)
Rates*
€ 16,00 FULL
€ 2,00 REDUCED (for citizens of the European Union between 18 and 25 years old*)
Concessions allowed by law: for the full list of concessions, visit the MiC page https://cultura.gov.it/agevolazioni)
*that is: from 18 years of age up to and including the day of the 25th birthday
First Sunday of the month: free access, no reservation required.
NOTICE
On Sunday, March 8, in celebration of International Women’s Day, admission to Castel Sant’Angelo will be free for all women.
Visitors are informed that, starting from November 24, 2025, the Farnese Rooms of Castel Sant’Angelo will be temporarily closed to the public for refurbishment. Thank you for your understanding.
Visitors are informed that, starting from September 2, 2025, the Room of Love and Psyche will be temporarily closed to the public to allow for scheduled maintenance and museum refurbishment. Thank you for your understanding.
New opening of the Passetto di Borgo with guided tours, curated by archaeologists and art historians: calendar in continuous implementation. Visits can be purchased on the www.museiitaliani.it platform or on the Musei Italiani app which can be downloaded from the App Store or Google Play. For more information: https://direzionemuseiroma.cultura.gov.it/apertura-al-pubblico-del-passetto-di-borgo/
Tickets for Passetto for January, February and March 2026 are available.
To purchase click here
Tickets for March, April, May and June 2026 are available.
Ticket booking is recommended every day and in particular on holidays and weekends (Saturday and Sunday).
To buy tickets click HERE
Information and booking assistance: call center + 39 06 399 671 00 (the service is active from 9.00 to 18.00 from Monday to Friday and from 9.00 to 14.00 on Saturdays), info@coopculture.it
The ticket will be personal. When purchasing the ticket, each visitor must provide their personal details.
At the entrance, the visitor must show
– the personal ticket;
– an original identity document.
⚠️ Access will not be granted if the data provided do not match to the identity document. In this case, no refund will be given.
Change of name for Tickets
A single name change is permitted for tickets purchased online or through the call centre.
The change must be made 24 hours before the day of the visit
🎓 Rules for School Tickets
Reservation is mandatory for schools.
No personal data tickets are requested for schools, it will be enough to show a list of students and their companions, stamped and signed by the school institute.
It will be mandatory to indicate the name of the school to which the booking refers.
🎧 Mandatory use of radioguides
For all groups, except school classes, the use of radio guides is mandatory and can be hired at a cost of €2 per person.
Groups
Reservation is mandatory for groups (from 10 to 25 people).
For all groups, visiting hours are from 9:00 am to 5:30 pm, with a maximum of one visit every 15 minutes. To ensure proper access, please respect the established timetable. Access procedures will be determined by the staff.
Please note: It is recommended to respect the deadlines information indicated for names changes and to be sure that the required documents are updated in order to avoid inconveniences during the access.
Free Sundays and free admission days
On these occasions, no tickets will be reserved online. All visitors, individuals and groups, will stand in a single queue to collect their free ticket, with no personal data, at the ticket office.
Evening openings
On these occasions, starting at 19.00, the visit route may be changed or restricted and groups cannot access.
Castel Sant’Angelo
Lungotevere Castello, 50 – 00193 Roma
Email:
Director:
Luca Mercuri
Phone +39 06 6819111
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