Rome: Castel Sant'Angelo Tickets - Admission & Opening Times
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One of Rome’s oldest and most notable buildings is Castel Sant’Angelo. The former mausoleum of Emperor Hadrian is located on the right bank of the Tiber, just a few minutes walk from the Vatican.
Since 1906, this place has been home to one of many exciting museums in Rome. So it’s no wonder that tickets for Castel Sant’Angelo are highly coveted by many visitors to the Eternal City.
Like all other sights in the Eternal City, you can book your Rome tickets directly via our website. This article will tell you what you can look forward to, particularly when you enter the almost 2,000-year-old “Castel Sant’Angelo.”
We will also give you some tips to make your visit to the complex, which was built in 139 AD, much easier. Due to the high number of tourists, the site always has long queues, especially in high season.
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Who’s writing here?
Hi there, fellow adventurers!
I’m Allie and I travel to Rome a lot! ♥️
Allie
Highlights in the Museum
The Castel Sant’Angelo Museum contains more than 50 exciting rooms. These include countless art treasures from past eras, medieval weapons and armor, a dungeon, and imperial burial chambers such as those of Hadrian, Marcus Aurelius, Commodus, and Marcus Aurelius.
At least as impressive are the papal rooms, which are adorned with extensive art treasures and wall decorations. These include fascinating paintings, magnificent murals, a wealth of antique sculptures, and furniture of all kinds.
Another highlight of Castel Sant’Angelo is the breathtaking roof terrace, which rounds off the entrance to the ancient museum. From there, you have a wonderful view of Vatican City and large parts of Rome.
Castel St Angelo Tickets & guided Tours
You can buy your tickets online in advance and avoid the sometimes very long waiting times at the ticket counters.
The number of visitors is significantly higher at weekends than during the week. A major advantage of online tickets is the so-called “skip-the-line” option, which allows you to save time on-site and use a separate entrance.
This means you don’t have to join the regular queue, which saves a lot of time, especially during the high season.
Castel St Angelo skip-the-line Tickets
The basic ticket for Castel Sant’Angelo in Rome includes access to the museum’s most important exhibition rooms, the panoramic terrace, the armory, the papal apartments, the mausoleum, and the upper tour.
Like all other online tickets, admission includes fast-track entry through a separate entrance!
- Fast-entry ("skip-the-line") through a separate entrance
- Validity of the ticket: 1 day
- Cancellation is free of charge until 11.59 pm on the evening before your desired visit with a full refund.
Admission with fast track entry (skip-the-line) + Audio Guide:
This ticket gives you access to Castel Sant’Angelo, including the museum and panoramic terrace. It covers the main areas, including the main exhibition rooms, the armory, the mausoleum, the papal apartments, and the main areas of the fortress and the upper walkway.
With this ticket, you will also receive a multilingual audio guide for your smartphone, which you can download after purchasing your ticket.
- Skip-the-line entry through a separate entrance
- Audio guide in the following languages: English, German, Spanish, Italian, French, Chinese
- Validity of the ticket: 1 day
- Cancellation is free of charge up to 24 hours before the start, with a full refund
Admission + private guided tour of Castel Sant'Angelo, incl. skip-the-line service
Visitors to Castel Sant’Angelo can also take part in a guided tour and receive detailed background information on the respective exhibitions. The cylindrical building has some exciting surprises to offer.
Your tour guide will accompany you through the museum’s halls and provide you with all kinds of exciting information. Your guided tour ends on the upper terrace, where you can enjoy the magnificent view of Rome for yourself.
The tour lasts 75 – 120 minutes. You will meet the tour guide at the bridge, a few meters from the entrance to Castel Sant’Angelo. You can choose between German, English, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, and French.
This ticket can also be canceled up to 24 hours before the start, and you will receive a full refund.
- Fast admission ("skip-the-line") to Castel Sant'Angelo through a separate entrance
- Guided tour in English, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian or French
- Cancellation is free of charge up to 24 hours before the start, with a full refund
Address:
Lungotevere Castello 50, 00186 Roma
Recommended exploration time:
2-3 hours
Transportation:
Buses: 23, 34, 49, 64, 87, 280, 492, 926 and 990
Opening hours:
Tuesday – Sunday: 09.00 – 19.30
Mondays: closed
Nearby:
Piazza Navona (0.7 km)
St. Peter’s Basilica (0.7 km)
Vatican Museums (1.2 km)
Pantheon (1.2 km)
What visitors say...
History of Castel Sant'Angelo in Rome
Hardly any other building in Rome has adapted and changed as frequently over the centuries as this exciting sight. The admittedly gloomy-looking, cylindrical building was built in 139 AD at Emperor Hadrian’s behest.
It was intended to serve as a unique mausoleum for him and future emperors. The emperor also built the Angel Bridge (“Ponte Sant Angelo”) to facilitate crossing the Tiber.
Contrary to what was planned, however, the tomb was only to fulfill its original purpose for just under 80 years. The fortress, which is now almost 2,000 years old, was rebuilt several times and underwent almost constant development.
The complex served as a residence and refuge for the popes for several years, so Castel Sant’Angelo was even connected to the Vatican in 1277 by a secret above-ground passageway, the so-called “Passetto di Borgo.” In the Middle Ages, the fortress was expanded again, and a prison and a treasury were added.
It was not until the late 19th century that the castle became somewhat quieter. At this time, the Italian army converted Castel Sant’Angelo into barracks until the building became an official museum of the city of Rome in 1906.
The bronze angel statue at the top of the complex symbolizes the protection and blessings granted to the city of Rome and Castel Sant’Angelo. It is a statue of the archangel Michael, which has already had to be replaced several times due to various lightning strikes.
Editor: Allie Hartmann
Hey and welcome to Rome-Tourist!
My name is Allie and I travel regularly to Rome, Italy.
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