Ponte San Angelo | Bridges of Ancient Rome

The Ponte Sant’ Angelo (134 CE) is one of the ten Bridges of Ancient Rome which crossed the river Tiber.
It is also known as the Aelian Bridge, ‘Pons Aelius’, or Bridge of Hadrian and leads directly to the Castel San Angelo.

The bridge was built by Hadrian in 134 CE to connect the city to his newly built Mausoleum, the Castel San Angelo.
It was known as the ‘Pons Aelius’ meaning the Bridge of Hadrian.
The three central arches are original.
It is only used by pedestrians today.

The Castel San Angelo, also known as the Mausoleum of Hadrian or Hadrianum, was built by Hadrian between 130-139 CE.
It is a circular building located at Lungotevere Castello, 50, Rome. Originally it had a roof garden and a golden Quadriga on top.
In 401 CE, it was turned into a fortress by Honorius as part of the defences of Rome.
In 410 CE, the Mausoleum was desecrated and the ashes scattered during the Sack of Rome by Alaric and the Visigoths,
The Mausoleum of Hadrian held the following Emperors’ ashes in golden Urns:
Julius Caesar, Hadrian, Antoninus Pius, Septimius Severus, Marcus Aurelius, Caracalla, Commodus

Ponte Sant’Angelo