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Built by the emperor
Adrian in 123 A.D. as a mausoleum for himself and his imperial
dynasty. The original work was very different from the one
you can see nowadays; its turning into a castle took place
in the X century; in 1277 it became property of the Church,
that joined it through the famous "passetto" to the Vatican
walls. The passetto is a long fortified corridor that allowed
the passage of the pontiffs from the Vatican Palaces to
the castle. The name of Castel Sant'Angelo dates back to
the XII century and originates from an ancient legend that
tells the story of the plague in Rome in 590; according
to this story the plague came to an end thanks to the an
angel that alighted upon the mausoleum and made the gesture
of replacing the sword in the sheath, symbolizing the accorded
Grace. To remember this event, not only the name of the
monument was changed, but the statue in honor of the angel
was put on the top.
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